Tales of the White Knight: Awakenings
by Forever Free Evergreen
Summary: What started as a simple delivery ends up in an adventure of a lifetime for Leonard as he is tasked with rescuing the Princess from a mysterious cult armed with a weapon unseen for ten millenia R
1. The Kingdom Attacked

_**Disclaimer:**__ I do not own White Knight Chronicles just my avatar and the words below._

_Appologies for all those who have been waiting for oh so long for the next chapter of this story. To keep you happy until chapter 4 is done, I have edited & hopefully improved the original 3 chapters for your viewing pleasure. Enjoy._

_**~#~#~#~**_

_A long time ago, during what's known as the Dogma age, two great forces struggled for __control of the world. They were called Yshrenia and Athwan. Their fortunes waxed and waned, but neither could ever gain the upper hand. In a bid to finish the war once and for all, Yshrenia created the Knights._

_And just like that the tides changed; before __long Athwan stood on the brink of defeat. But the Athwani forces made one, last desperate counter-attack. At the price of many lives, they used "sealing magic" to entrap the Yshrenian Knights. Without their super weapons, the Yshrenians were over whelmed b__y the Athwani Spellcasters. Now it was their turned to be pushed to the edge of defeat._

_However before the Athwani could finish off their foes, they turned against themselves and their empire collapsed into civil war. Eventually both civilizations, Yshreni__a and Athwan alike, faded away. For all their sacrifices, neither side ever gained ultimate victory, in the end their bloody struggle was all in vain. _

_However, the oracles of time prophesied a final battle would be fought ten millennia later..._

_**~#~#~#~**_

Tufts of grass and dirt were thrown to the winds as a small band of horse riders tore through the plains of Balastor. Passing trees and high cliffs, the supposed leader of the small band halted atop a cliff face that gave them a grand view of a large kingdom.

Of the five riders, two of them wore identical armoured garbs indicating they were infantry. Another wore a suit of armour of what appeared to be rich green dragon or lizard scales which clung to him tightly giving the impression that he was swift in combat if the katana that hung at his waist was anything to go by. The fourth rider was shorter and more stockier than any of the other riders and wore a red and gold trimmed coat that made him look more like the leader of a circus troupe than an officer although the mad look in his eyes may prove otherwise. The fifth rider was clad from head to toe in jet black armour making him look like some demon that had stepped out of someone's nightmare.

'General' The man in the red coat said with a flourish. 'I give you Balandor'

The black armoured General said nothing as the fiery red slits of his helmet gazed down upon the kingdom where the sounds of celebration were starting in recognition of events to come.

"Yes, General Dragias" The man chuckled as if the black knight had spoken. 'I think tonight's celebration will be one to remember'

Whether General Dragias heard what his fellow rider said or not was unknown as he continued to stare down at the kingdom where their objective was hidden.

_**~#~#~#~**_

In the kingdom of Balandor the entire population was abuzz with activity. Tonight was the ball for Princess Cisna's coming-of-age. If that weren't enough a delegation from the continent of Faria, a long time enemy of Balandor, was coming to negotiate peace treaties and end a war that had ravaged both sides.

With such an important occasion upon them, it was only natural that the Castleguard would be on high alert and had increased the number of patrols and guards station at the two entrances to the kingdom to ward off those deemed suspicious and unworthy of entering and cause trouble for the kingdom and its guests.

As the four guards stationed at the entrance leading from the Greydall plains cast focused looks on all who passed them, what seemed to be an old man in a threadbare travelling cloak with its hood up and carrying a long object wrapped in cloth approached the gates. As he made to pass them, one of the guards called to him.

'Hey, you with the hood!' He barked at the old man. 'Not so fast'

The hooded man stopped and turned his head slightly towards the guard indicating that he heard him. 'You wouldn't be talking to me, would you?' He asked quietly as if unable to speak louder than a whisper.

'Let's have a look at your face!' The guard said as he stepped in front of the man.

'Surely you've got better things to look upon than the pockmarks and wrinkles of an old man, no?' The old man questioned bowing his head slightly to make sure his face remained hidden under his cloak.

The guard was obviously not buying the act and shoved the old man to show that he meant business. 'I said, take off the hood and show me your face!'

It looked like the old man had given up trying to avoid the inevitable and obediently lifted his head so the guard could see under the hood. The next moment, the guard's eyes were caught in the old man's and suddenly felt he was in a dream. Dropping his spear as his arms went limp and he began to sway on the spot, the guard gave the old man the go ahead.

'Good enough. Proceed' He said in a dazed voice making the guard not far from him stare in astonishment as he had watched the spectacle from where he was stationed.

'Oh, many thanks. You soldiers are truly a credit to your King' The old man commented before stepping passed the dazed guard and continuing on his way. The moment the old man had walked far enough away, the guard who had seen them stepped closer to his colleague.

'Hey, you sure?' He asked casting a suspicious glance at the old man's retreating back. 'I don't like the looks of him'

Ignoring the two guards behind him, the old man kept walking at his slow pace until he could see the whole of the castle from the road he was currently on. 'Any moment now' He muttered to himself his voice now sounding stronger and deeper than it had a few moments ago. 'The prophecies were very specific about where it would begin'

_**~#~#~#~**_

From her balcony that looked out over her father's kingdom, Princess Cisna gazed out into the blue sky. Standing near the entrance to the balcony behind her, her father King Valtos stared at his daughter with a sad look upon his face. It had been ten years since he had last seen her smile or speak and he just wished that she would utter just one more word before his time had come.

'Your Grace?' King Valtos recognised the voice of Sarvain, his aide, as the man walked towards him. 'How does our young princess fare today?'

The King shook his head from side to side slightly before answering the rather obvious question. 'Look at her Sarvain. She is the picture of her mother. Ten painful years since that day and still my Cisna speaks not a word'

The memory of that night was forever burned into his mind. It was just when the moon reached its zenith that the Farians had staged a daring attack on the kingdom. Whilst his loyal soldiers held them at bay, Valtos was notified that someone had managed to sneak into the castle. He returned just in time to witness his wife Floraine being stabbed through the heart by someone, presumably a Farian, shrouded in a black coat before jumping out the window. Not only had the King just seen his beloved wife die before his eyes, his dear sweet daughter was standing before him clutching a pillow as she stared at her mother's lifeless body.

'Are you certain we should proceed with the ball?' Sarvain asked pulling the King from his thoughts. 'Presenting her to the people now might only add to their alarm'

'Oh, what nonsense' Valtos scoffed quietly as he turned to look at Sarvain. 'None of those attending expect Cisna to speak. Her presence and her composure will suffice'

He spoke with a hint of pride when he said that. Despite having lost her mother at such a young age, Cisna had grown into a beautiful young lady and seemed to be encompassed in an air of calmness and confidence; reminding Valtos of his late wife.

'Still...I would give all my riches to see a _real_ smile cross her face again' The King said before bowing his head as he remembered all the times before that night when Cisna used to laugh and smile bright enough to rival the sun itself. 'Floraine, she would know. She always knew how to make Cisna laugh...'

'Sire...Forgive me' Sarvain said quietly when the King fell silent as he started to slip into depression. 'But the princess's heart breaking condition begs the old question. Why in creation are we making peace with the same people who robbed her of her mother?'

In an instant Valtos had shaken off his depression and had once more become himself. 'My wife is gone Sarvain' He said turning to the grey haired advisor with a hardened look in his eye. 'War has taken her, just as it has taken so many before her. The Farians speak our tongue. We ought to trade words with them from now on, not lives'

Sarvain bowed his head at his King's wise words but that did not stop the small grumble of his disproval from escaping his lips.

Upon hearing the sound of her father's slightly raised voice, Cisna left the balcony's ledge and walked over to him curtsying when she was a few steps from him. The King's hardness immediately softened upon seeing his daughter before him.

'Oh, Cisna!' He sighed knowing full well that whenever she was around any sad thoughts seemed to just drift away. 'You look radiant. That dress suits you perfectly'

Cisna looked up at her father and smiled softly. Suddenly, armoured footsteps could be heard as a soldier walked towards them.

'Your Grace' He said going on one knee before his king.

'What is it?' Valtos asked of his subject.

'Archduke Dalam of Faria will be arriving shortly' The soldier replied keeping his eyes fixed on the ground before him.

'Good' Valtos nodded. 'See that he is given a proper welcome'

'Yes sire' The soldier complied but remained where he was. 'Also, a group calling themselves the Marcus Revellers are outside the gates. They say they wish to perform in honour of Her Highness's special day. Shall I turn them away?'

'A circus, today?' Valtos asked sounding both surprised and baffled.

'A gift!' Sarvain exclaimed enthusiastically. 'What day could be more deserving of a little extra celebration?'

The King pondered for a moment before turning to look at his daughter. Nodding to himself he then turned to look back at the soldier that informed him of the troupe and his aide. 'Very well. Let them into the city then'

Sarvain nodded before leaving after the soldier who had just got up and saluted before leaving moments earlier. As the King turned back to his daughter, Sarvain glanced back at the two of them before walking off a knowing and somewhat sinister smile tugging at his lips.

_**~#~#~#~**_

'Anything to report?' The Captain of the Castleguard asked as he approached one of the guards stationed at the entrance gates leading up to the castle drawbridge.

'No, sir' The guard replied.

Captain Cyrus nodded before turning his gaze down the wide road that lead from the gates straight down towards the centre of the kingdom where the citizens of Balandor were gathering as the delegation from Faria made its approach. People of all ages stared in awe at the rows of soldiers marching in perfect formation up the road towards the castle. Nestled in between two white furred beasts, a single person in splendid robes of sunflower yellow sat comfortably amidst a pile of plush cushions as his chair was carried by four muscular servants.

'That is quite the procession' The guard noted to his captain who just scoffed.

'I hope the archduke has enough pillows' He said just loud enough before schooling his expression and bowing as the procession reached them. 'Warmongering Farian scum'

Gesturing for his people to stop, the Archduke turned his gaze upon the captain of the guards. 'Who are you?' He asked in a monotone voice.

'I am Cyrus of Balandor. Captain of the Castleguard' Cyrus replied making sure his voice did not contain even a hint of anger at who he was talking to. 'Your Excellency, we are most honoured by your visit'

'Are you now?' Archduke Dalam asked in the same monotonous tone. After many years of fighting, what he just heard surely was not meant, at least not yet. 'Tell me, Sir. How is his Grace? Is he doing well these days?'

Cyrus nearly bit his tongue to keep himself in check. 'He is doing quite well, your Excellency' He managed to reply calmly.

'Is he now. That's good to hear' Dalam said mostly to himself before looking back at Cyrus once again. 'Now then, if you'll excuse me'

As if taking their cue, the procession continued off towards the castle. Once the procession had moved off the guard that Cyrus had spoken to before the delegation arrived spoke up.

'Does his Grace really hope to make peace with _these people_?' He asked of him.

Cyrus scoffed again as he rose to his feet. '_Peace_ with the _Farians_? The idea makes my blood boil'

Having been wielding his sword for his King and Kingdom since he had turned of age, Cyrus had fought in many a battle with the Farians. When Queen Floraine had been killed by those monsters, Cyrus took up the position of Captain of the Castleguard in the order to ensure they did not attempt to assassinate the Princess or, god forbid, the King himself.

Looking at the retreating back of the procession, Cyrus could not help but ask aloud one thing. 'Has the King forgotten so soon?'

_**~#~#~#~**_

Rapacci was in a right mood as he watched his new hire count up the many crates of bottled wine that were stacked neatly in one corner of his shop. With a ball going on there was obviously going to be a banquet and banquets always had wine. And wine was what his business, Rapacci Wines, was to deliver to the castle for the upcoming banquet.

'Make sure you've counted them properly' He said to the new guy who just lifted his right hand above his head gesturing that he heard the warg as his other hand continued to move up and down as he quickly counted up the remaining columns of crates full of bottled wine.

At that moment, the door to the shop opened and Rapacci swiftly turned his eyes towards the entrant and seeing red when he recognised the ponytailed youth that had walked in.

'Dammit, Leonard!' He snarled making the youth cringe and jump back a step. 'Where the hell have you been? You better not have forgotten what today is'

Leonard just stood there and took it. He had been looked after by Rapacci for twelve years and had learned that, when his guardian and boss got angry, it was best to just let him get it out of his system instead of doing something to make it worse. Although coming in on time may have prevented it.

'Yeah I know' Leonard answered the warg's question having had the answer literally beaten into him for the past seven weeks now. 'Today is the Princess's ball. She's introduced to society, we step into the big time, got it'

'This is a momentous day for Rapacci Wines. The court picked _us _to supply wine for a party at the castle!' Rapacci rambled off his eyes glazing over as he began remembering all the hardships he had gone through to get this far. 'We gotta do it right and earn a bona fide royal commendation! Ah, I've worked my fingers to the bone to guess this far...'

Leonard knew what was coming next. Rapacci would bawl at the roof whilst covering his face with one arm in elation of his dream nearly coming true and was not disappointed as Rapacci did just that.

'Look, I'll leave for the Parma winery now, and I'll still be back with time to spare' Leonard stated thinking it would calm him down only for it to backfire on him as Rapacci glared at him again.

'You better' he said before moving round from behind his desk and towards Leonard. 'I rented a Beastwain at the village for you. Use it ta cart the wine back here like your life depends on it' He waved a clenched fist threateningly at Leonard. 'Cause it does'

'All...all right!' Leonard gulped remembering all the other times Rapacci had all but flayed him to within an inch of his life for disappointing him.

'And while you're at it, that's the new guy' He added jerking his chin at the new hire who had watched the whole spectacle and looked like he was trying to figure out their relationship. 'Take him with you'

'Hi there, I'm Leonard' Leonard greeted as he stepped up to the new hire.

'Alastor' Came the reply as he raised his hand to shake Leonard's.

Leonard took a moment to look over him. The guy was tall and well built; his face seemed to have a frown permanently attached to it but he seemed alright; his face was slim and free of any blemishes whilst his eyes were of a dark blue with matching hair colour that was short and spiked on top with the sides braided to look like a head band.

Anything else Leonard wanted to speculate about the new hire would have to wait for another time as Rapacci had thrown a goblet at him that found its mark on the back of his head with a dull thunk.

'Just get your butts moving!' Rapacci growled at the two of them. 'You can talk on the road!'

'Alright, gods...' Leonard moaned as he nursed his sore head whilst heading for the door with Alastor following him.

'Cheerful guy' Alastor noted once the two of them had picked up their weapons that were lying just inside the door and headed outside.

'He's just anxious about getting that commendation' Leonard defended as he adjusted the strap of his sword belt. 'Trust me when I say that him like this is better when he_ is_ angry'

Alastor's eyebrows rose slightly before settling into their usual place as he placed his oak staff into the holster he had made out of an old strip of leather. 'So, what's the task?'

Leonard quickly fished a piece of paper out of the inner pocket of his leather vest and quickly looked over it. 'We have to fetch barrels of wine from the Parma warehouse using the Beastwain' He said before sighing. 'Boy, that's a lot of work'

'Don't complain, it's easier than carrying it ourselves' Alastor reasoned.

Leonard shuddered. He could barely carry one barrel of wine by himself and given that the party was at the castle there would have to be nearly two dozen barrels. He would have to carry whilst fighting off vespids and the odd polkan at the same time.

'Well, let's get going' He said after shuddering again.

As the two of them made their way through the back roads towards the main road that would lead them to the west gate, Leonard started up a conversation with Alastor and the two of them began to share bits about each other.

Alastor was twenty-eight years old making him ten years Leonard's senior and had last been in Balandor ten years ago when he enrolled into the king's army but then quit six years later and took a job in the free city of Greede. He then left a little over a year ago for reasons only he knew and wandered the lands until he was broke and took up the job at the winery. Leonard on the other hand had been living in Balandor as far back as he could remember and often spent his days playing with a childhood friend of his in the Balastor Plain. He was offered, or rather given, a job at his guardian's winery when he was deemed old enough to help out and had been working there ever since.

As the two of them made their way down the main road towards the gate, they passed by an old man in a ragged travelling cloak who was walking in the other direction. As if compelled to do so, Leonard turned his gaze towards the old man and was slightly surprised to see him looking back as if studying him before looking down again and continuing on his way.

'Weird' He mumbled as he watched the old man walk away for a second before catching up to Alastor who was waiting for him a few steps ahead.

'Friend of yours?' He asked gazing at the old man suspiciously.

'I was going to ask you the same thing' Leonard admitted as they continued towards the west gate

Just before Leonard and Alastor reached their destination, they began to notice a crowd gathering just ahead and festive music could be heard.

'Hey look' Leonard exclaimed when he saw two giant lizards towing a large theatre through the gates to Balandor.

'A troupe?' Alastor asked sounding slightly surprised.

From atop the moving theatre, a man in a top hat, wiry moustache and a red nose emerged from behind a curtain and spoke to the crowd. 'Ladies and gentlemen! Young and old of Balandor! I am Belcitane and in honour of Her Highness's coming-of-age day, I give you wonders aplenty and sights unlike any!

With a flourishing wave of his hand, acrobats appeared on stage and began flipping and cart wheeling about as fire crackers burst loose spewing forth streams of confetti bringing applause and cheers from the crowds. 'Step right up, the Marcus Revellers have arrived!'

'I've never seen a circus. This is going to be some party!' Leonard crowed looking excited.

'We might be able to catch the last half if we hurry' Alastor speculated as they headed out the west gate once the caravan had passed by and made their way onto the Balastor plain.

'The village of Parma is due south of here, pretty simple' Leonard said as he pointed out into the vast plain. 'There's not much to it, but it's a nice enough place'

'You talking about the plain, or the village?' Alastor asked as he rested one hand on his staff.

'The village' Leonard chuckled before turning serious. 'Keep a look out for monsters. We're in the wild now'

With a blurred motion of his arm, Alastor drew his staff and had it resting on his shoulder. 'Just don't get in the way of my spells and I'm sure we'll do fine'

Leonard nodded in agreement as he place a hand on the hilt of his sword. The two of them began making their way towards Parma at a steady pace keeping a wary eye out for the odd vespid swarm that they might run into.

_**~#~#~#~**_

The trip to Parma took only a few hours to make. With Leonard's swordsmanship and Alastor's magicks, the two of them were able to overcome any obstacles that were in their way. The only problem they had was when a group of nearby polkans and kibbles joined in the battle against several vespids resulting in quite a few bruises before Alastor sent them running with a fire spell.

'Told you it was a straight shot to Parma' Leonard said as they reached the gate to the village.

'Didn't mean we had to go straight through the middle of a swarm of vespids' Alastor grumbled as he holstered his staff. 'You're lucky I'm skilled in divine lore as well as spirit'

Divine and spirit, also known as elemental, lore were two main branches of magic that were common to most, if not all, Spellcasters these days. Divine lore was the art of healing and support magicks most commonly used by healers and doctors throughout the lands. Elemental lore was the complete opposite of divine due to its destructive force by fusing one of the four elements with a Spellcaster's mana, the energy used to channel and power spells, and targeting from one person or creature to several at once. Most Spellcasters focused on mastering one of the two; however there were some people like Alastor who used both.

Leonard shrugged it off and walked through the gate. Alastor shook his head at the youth's apparent sureness that they would have made it and followed him. Upon passing through the gate and advancing several more steps, Alastor could not help but whistle appreciatively at the peaceful settlement before him. The village was small, all of the houses were made up of stray, hay and clay yet looked sturdily built whilst the rest of the land was covered in vineyards. Coupled with the several windmills and quietness, it was no surprise why Alastor whistled.

'Welcome to Parma' Leonard said knowing full well why the Spellcaster whistled.

'Hey! You're on time _for once_'

Turning round at the sound of the person's voice, Leonard and Alastor saw a girl around Leonard's age with short purple hair and grey blue eyes walking towards them.

'Yulie!' Leonard called out when he recognised his best friend for the past eleven years.

'How've you been there, Leonard?' She asked as she stopped beside them then took a moment to study Alastor. She actually had to take a step back to look at him properly because he was a whole head taller than her. 'You must be the new guy. Rapacci told me you were coming. Glad you could make it'

Before Alastor could even nod his head in acknowledgement, Yulie had already started walking away. 'The wine's all set to go, follow me'

Alastor just stared after her. To him, it looked like the girl could hardly stay in one place for so long as if she had just swallowed a whole pouch of sweetdrops.

'Didn't think I would run into Yulie here' Leonard groaned causing Alastor to quirk an eyebrow at him.

'What's so bad about that?' he asked as the two of them followed their guide.

'Yulie's always ready to work and always teases me about something or other if she gets the chance' Leonard explained.

'Maybe if you weren't so lazy she wouldn't get to you so much' Alastor pointed out earning a light blow to the shoulder from Leonard.

'I get enough of that kind of talk from Rapacci and her without adding you to the list' Leonard stated.

'I'm just saying-' The rest of Alastor's sentence died in his throat when he saw the Beastwain. The creature looked like a cross between a mountain goat, a boar and about four times as big.

'You _must_ be kidding' Leonard croaked when he found his voice again.

'Don't let his looks fool you' Yulie assured them as she stepped up to the creature and patted its flank. 'He's a big old pussycat'

Whilst Yulie petted the creature, Leonard and Alastor traded a look that told one another how doubtful they were about it. They quickly wiped the look off their faces when Yulie turned round but instead of looking at them, she looked about for someone else.

'Now...Where...?' She muttered quietly before speaking up slightly. 'Raus said he'd be here'

'Who?' Leonard asked sure he misheard her.

'Your driver. Raus is the only one who can get this fella to pull the wain; it won't move a step without his say-so' Yulie explained before heading back into the village. 'Sit tight, I'll see if I can find him'

'But...Yulie!' Leonard called out but it was already too late as the girl had vanished off into the village.

'Is she always like this?' Alastor asked subconsciously taking a half step away from the beast when it suddenly moaned.

'I'm just glad we hurried out here' Leonard replied before heading into the village himself. 'We better help her find him'

It was a little over an hour later when Raus was finally found. The papitaur was found napping against a tree stump amidst an impressive pile of empty wine bottles he had emptied himself despite his small size. When Yulie was called over from where she was searching for the little blighter, she nearly blew her top.

'Raus, you oaf!' she yelled at the little creature startling him awake.

'Ohh, dear me! Did I dose off again?' Raus spluttered as he woke up before crying in shock and pain when Yulie pick him up by the scruff of his neck and held him so that they were seeing each other eye to evil-eye.

'This is where you were hiding? I told you not to be late!' She scolded him making the scared papitaur's ears droop before letting him go and watching him scurry behind Leonard's legs.

It took another hour to calm down both Yulie and Raus before everything was set and ready to go. By that time, the sun had begun to sink behind the mountains covering the village and clouds in an orange gold light.

'We'd better haul cask' Leonard noted when he realised the time. He was sure Rapacci would skin and flay him to within an inch of his life then ask Alastor to fully heal him so he could do it all over again if he was late.

'Okay Leonard, like I mentioned before, _Raus _here will be driving the beastwain' Yulie explained giving the papitaur a quick glare when she said his name before becoming all cheerful again.

'Hello, happy to assist, Chief' Raus said to them before adding in an undertone. 'If I happen to doze off..._again_...kindly wake me up before this beastie remembers I forgot to feed it breakfast and turns me into a late lunch'

'Uh-huh...' Leonard muttered sharing another disbelieving look with Alastor.

'He's kind of weird, but he gets the job done' Yulie assured them having caught the look before saying brightly. 'Off we go!'

The two guys instantly turned their attention onto the girl who had started to skip away towards the entrance to the village.

'_We_?'

'You're coming _too_?'

'Well yeah! I wouldn't miss this party for the world!' She said as if it explained everything before her expression turned sour. 'What, you don't want the extra help?'

'It's rather we don't want anyone slowing us down' Alastor replied bluntly causing the girl to glare at him. 'You'd basically be extra baggage for us to protect'

Instead of yelling at him, Yulie stomped off into one of the houses that was probably her own. Seconds later, she came out with a full quiver strapped to her back and a bow in her hands. Before Alastor could ask if she could use it properly, the girl had notched and fired an arrow at him sinking into the top of his staff and causing him to yelp in surprise.

'Come on, we're as late as it is!' she said to them before walking off as if pretending nothing just happened.

Leonard barely managed to hold back his laughter at the spellcaster's face when Yulie fired at him. He knew he should have warned Alastor about Yulie's temperament, but after witnessing the spectacle he was glad that he did not. Patting the Spellcaster on the shoulder as he passed, Leonard signalled for Raus to follow them.

'Women' Alastor muttered as he yanked the arrow out of his staff and throwing it away, not watching as it sunk point first into a nearby sign, before jogging to catch up with the party.

_**~#~#~#~**_

'God damn vespids!' Yulie cursed as she let loose an arrow at one of the oversized wasps and pinning it to a tree.

'It's really the papitaur you should be cursing' Leonard pointed out as he sliced through one of the woodland creatures then stabbing another that was about to clobber him with its club.

Yulie ignored the comment. The beastwain had clipped the side of a tree that housed a vespid nest. Naturally, the vespids responded by attacking them. Alastor had barely managed to cut the swarm in half with an ice spell before he was forced to shield himself from a barrage of nuts and pebbles from a group of polkans and kibbles, woodland creatures that had a tendency to join in fights regardless of who started it.

Whilst Leonard aided Alastor in pushing back the woodland creatures, Yulie was stuck with taking out the remaining vespids. She made swift work of all but one of the flying insects which had darted in close to her and was now trying to sting her. Drawing her hunting knife from its sheath beneath her quiver, Yulie attempted to stab the vespid as it came in close. Her thrust glanced off the insect's side whilst the insect managed to cut her on the shoulder drawing a small trickle of blood. Before it could come round for another pass, Alastor swatted the vespid away with his staff sending it towards Leonard who cleaved it in two with ease.

'Can you please stop falling asleep?' Leonard asked the papitaur after sheathing his sword.

'Sorry about that, chief' Raus apologized. 'Wine tends to make me feel sleepy'

'If it weren't for the fact that you're the only one who can make that beastwain move, I'd feed you to it right now' Yulie grumbled making sure the last part was loud enough for the papitaur to hear as she cast a healing spell on her wounded shoulder only to grimace. Although the cut had vanished the area around the cut was still tinged purple indicating she was poisoned. 'Anyone got some antidote grass on them?'

Alastor replied by placing his hand over the infected area and cast a cure spell. When he pulled back his hand the infected area on her shoulder had disappeared.

'Much better' Yulie sighed as the group started moving again.

'Don't mention it' Alastor grunted as he walked beside the beastwain. 'How come you can cast a healing spell but nothing else?'

'I've known how to do that since I was young. Believe me when I say it came in handy whenever Leonard got into scraps with polkans and kibbles when we were younger' Yulie explained remembering a younger Leonard covered in bumps and bruises all over his body. 'Unfortunately, I haven't been able to come across any books on divine lore to improve my skills'

'A healer who can barely heal; you really are just extra baggage' Alastor commented earing a shove from the girl.

'This _extra baggage _stopped a vespid from stabbing you through the head with its stinger!' Yulie remarked glaring daggers at the Spellcaster.

'I didn't see it, so it didn't happen' Alastor countered earning another shove from the girl.

Up ahead, Leonard smiled at their bickering before frowning as something akin to a sixth sense warned him of something approaching them. 'Wait' He called out causing the others to stop. 'Something's wrong'

'What is it?' Yulie asked unsure of what was happening.

'What's wrong, Chief?' Raus asked after halting the beastwain.

Leonard did not answer at first as his eyes roamed the landscape up ahead. 'You don't hear that?'

Yulie looked at Leonard in confusion, she had seen Leonard act like this several times before but this times felt like the real deal. Alastor on the other hand noted the total silence around them before putting one hand on the ground eyes closing as he focused before standing up suddenly after feeling a constant tremor getting closer.

'Company' He said as his right hand shifted to his holstered staff. '_Big_ company'

Leonard nodded in agreement whilst Yulie looked from one to the other in confusion. Before she could ask what they were talking about, she felt it herself. Large thumping sounds could soon be heard before a thirty foot troll came stomping round from behind a cliff face towards them, a heavy looking stone club held in one hand.

'A little far from home, don't you think?' Alastor asked.

'It must have smelled the wine' Leonard reasoned.

'What do we do, Chief' Raus asked as he fought to control the panicking beastwain.

'We fight!' Leonard declared as he drew his sword and charged at the troll.

The troll however did not seem to notice Leonard, rather the beastwain and its cargo, and started to charge towards it. Alastor realised this and made a pillar of stone rise out of the ground in front of the troll's right leg causing it to trip and crash to the ground as it collided with it. Enraged at being denied its prize, the troll picked itself up and made to swing its club down on Leonard only for Yulie to intervene by shooting an arrow that stuck home in its wrist causing it let go of the club.

Glaring at Yulie, the troll began making its way towards her when a strong wind spell to the head from Alastor coupled with Leonard driving his sword into the back of its injured right leg caused it to go down on bended knee. As it howled in pain, Yulie patiently waited for the opportune moment to fire an arrow at the creature. At the right moment Yulie released the shaft sending it into the troll's mouth, sinking through the soft tissue of the upper jaw and felling the creature. Leonard sighed in relief as he watched the troll fall backwards onto the ground and remained still.

'Well, we survived' Yulie noted as she joined the others next to the beastwain and inspected its cargo. 'And it looks like the wine is okay too'

'Nice going, chief!' Raus cheered. 'I thought I'd napped my last nap for sure!'

'Nah. The three of us can handle one little troll' Leonard said confidently as he looked from Alastor to Yulie before looking scared. 'It's _Rapacci_ I'm scared of. Let's move!'

'Right!' Yulie cheered enthusiastically as they continued towards Balandor.

_**~#~#~#~**_

It was when the moon was hanging in the sky like a pendant when the group finally passed through the west gate and arrived in Balandor. There was no sign of any life on the streets and the only sounds to be heard were the creaking of the wain's wheels and the faint sound of festival music coming from further ahead.

'I told Rapacci I'd be back _before_ sunset' Leonard moaned as he held his head. 'I am dead'

'Well, moaning about it isn't going to speed us up' Yulie pointed out as she passed him.

'My sincerest apologies, Chief' Raus said indeed looking guilty for knowing it was his fault they took so long getting to Balandor. The beast moaned as well but that was probably because it was tired rather than understanding the conversation.

'We're almost there, buddy' Leonard consoled it before heading to the back of the wain and began to push against it helping the beast get up the slope they were currently climbing.

Yulie and Alastor watched for a moment before lending a hand as well eventually reaching the top of the slope were the music and cheering could be heard much more clearly.

The Marcus Revellers appeared to still be entertaining the townsfolk with no sign of letting up. As they passed by, they could see acrobats either jumping about performing somersaults or twirling flaming batons single handed before tossing them into the air and catching them again.

'Ooh! I just love festivities!' Raus cheered as he watched from his seat atop the wain.

'"Wonders aplenty and sights unlike any". Sorry folks. The castle delivery comes first' Leonard told them causing Yulie's head to droop as she had been looking at the festivities with apparent joy and eagerness.

The group eventually stopped at the castle gates where they were greeted by two soldiers.

'Who are you, then?' One of them inquired.

'Rapacci Wines, Sir' Leonard stated as Yulie and Alastor bowed politely to them. 'We're here to deliver tonight's wine'

'All right. We've been expecting you' The other guard said. 'Though you were supposed to be here hours ago'

'Travel problems' Alastor explained with a shrug. 'Can't be helped'

'Merchants shouldn't keep the castle _waiting_!' The first guard butted in.

'They can if they want their deliveries to arrive _intact_' Alastor countered his eyes reduced to slits as his right hand began to twitch towards his staff his mind already debating over whether to encase the guard in ice or blast him into the moat.

'We were attacked by a monster on the way back from the warehouse and...' Leonard tried to explain before the guard cut him off.

'Stuff the excuses and get that wine inside _now_!' He ordered

'Yes, sir!' Yulie said sweetly stepping before the guards before either Leonard or Alastor could say or do anything else. 'We at Rapacci Wines look forward to serving you again!'

Alastor allowed his right hand to fall limp by his side. Yulie had actually saved that guard from being turned into an icicle or worse but now he was curious as to whether Yulie meant what she said and asked about it.

'Sure, I'll serve them again' She replied in the same sweet tone once they had gotten out of the guards hearing before scowling. 'If it's a boot in the face!'

Alastor could not help but smirk. 'You actually had me thinking you were going soft for a second'

Yulie grinned at the Spellcaster. 'Do you really think I'd let those jerks walk all over me?'

'No, but I pity those who try' Came the blunt reply.

'Hey!'

Leonard cracked a grin of his own. The last guy who tried to walk over her ended up face down on the ground clutching the remains of his jewels after Yulie's foot was introduced to them. The poor guy could not walk properly for a week.

The beastwain was finally able to rest when they reached the entrance to the supply room where several servant women were waiting for them.

'Good evening, ma'am' Leonard greeted one of them. 'Here's your wine order'

'Thank you, lad. This will do fine' The servant woman said nodding in approval at the quantity of barrels on the wain.

'We'll be off then' Leonard replied and made to leave with the others before stopping when he noticed that the servants' door to the castle was left unattended.

'What are you doing?' Yulie whispered furiously when she noticed what her friend was about to do. 'You can't go in there!'

'She's right Leonard' Alastor added. 'They catch you you'll get more than the usual flogging from Rapacci when he hears'

'What's wrong with one quick peek?' He asked before slipping inside unaware that a chain of events had begun to unfold, with him at the centre of it all, just because of "one quick peek".

_**~#~#~#~**_

Leonard, Alastor and Yulie gazed about in awe at what they saw. The main hall they had found themselves in, was basked in the golden glow of candles and the amount of glamorously dressed Lords and Ladies filling the room indicated that nearly, if not all of the nobles in Balandor had been invited. The centre was draped in a deep red carpet where many couples were dancing in rhythm to a band of musicians that were in one corner of the hall whilst a banquet table had been set up along the opposite wall.

'An impressive example of how the better half lives' Alastor noted as the three of them made their way around the far edge of the room towards the banquette table.

Seated on his thrown, King Valtos glanced to one side and smiled when he saw his daughter slowly coming down the stairs flanked by two of her handmaidens. Immediately the music stopped and everyone in the room turned to see Princess Cisna step into the room.

From behind the pillar he was peeking out of, Leonard's eyes glazed over as he remembered a moment back when he was very young. Rapacci had taken him up to the castle gardens as part of a tour and they were currently passing one of the castle entrances out onto the garden when the Princess was passing through the corridor it was connected to.

He was completely smitten with her as she ran up to him smiling and brought her hands up to his face only to slightly lose that smile as her gaze watched something seemingly drift away from her. He was able to turn round in time to see blue winged butterfly fly away from its perch atop of his head.

'What are you doing?' Yulie asked curiously as she suddenly dropped her arms on top of Leonard's crouched form and gazed in the direction he was looking only to frown when she saw who it was.

'It's rude to stare at royalty, you know' She scolded him as she pushed herself off of him and walked away only to stop when she heard Alastor chuckle at something. 'Something funny, Magician-boy?'

'Not really' Alastor shrugged. 'But, I think I just figured out the reason why you're in that outfit. Attracts the attention of all males except for _his_, right?'

Yulie felt herself freeze up at those words. Alastor seemed to notice this and allowed one edge of his mouth to curl up in a small grin before leaning in.

'Here's some good advice' He whispered in her ear. 'Find someone else to give your heart to, before it gets broken'

With that he walked off leaving the stunned girl to her thoughts.

_**~#~#~#~**_

Belcitane laughed and waved at the gathered crowd as his acrobats wowed them with incredible feats before throwing a calculated glance towards the castle as he fingered his moustache. The party was sure to be in full swing by now and even the Castleguard was sure to be more lax at this late hour.

'Time to blow them away' He declared throwing off his top hat, coat and red nose. 'Enough of this charade! It's show time!'

Suddenly the top of the caravan exploded throwing burnt planks everywhere as Belcitane jumped off of it unscathed. As the crowds screamed as they covered their heads or children to protect them from falling debris, a large form could be seen through the smoke in the epicentre of the explosion. The smoke suddenly parted as a giant monster stomped towards them, flames spewing from its mouth and two lanterns attached to its head. As if it was not terrifying enough already, it also had a huge turret cannon strapped to its back.

The people of Balandor ran for their lives only for many of them to be cut down by the appearance of knights in dark grey armour wielding curved swords and shields coming out of hidden compartments in the bottom of the caravan. As the bloodshed continued, the old man carrying the clothed bundle hobbled towards the scene.

'What's this?' He asked himself before noticing one of the attacking soldiers charging at him with his sword raised.

It was the soldier that was felled being half covered by the ragged travelling cloak and white clothe whilst where the old man was standing was now a veteran swordsman wielding a long sword in one hand and its sheath in the other.

'So they've found _it_ too' He confirmed before dashing off towards the castle where the fire spewing monster had headed off to.

_**~#~#~#~**_

'My noble friends, I thank you for coming here to celebrate this special day with my daughter' The King called out to his guests. 'How proud the late queen would be. It has been ten years since my beloved wife was lost to me. Today, the daughter she gave me, my dearest Cisna, celebrates her eighteenth birthday. The kindness you have shown her has made this day possible'

From where he was standing, Sarvain's eyes shifted from looking at His Grace and the far side of the hall as if expecting something to happen half impatiently.

'For that you have my deepest gratitude. Pease enjoy the evenings festivities' The King concluded before raising his goblet. 'Glory to Balandor!'

'Glory to Balandor!'

The crowd cheered raising their own goblets in toast before the music started up again. King Valtos allowed a small laugh to escape his lips as he watched the celebrations whilst Princess Cisna looked down at the carpet a sad expression on her face.

'Doesn't she look kind of sad to you?' Leonard asked of Yulie who was busy sampling a slice of cake.

'You think so?' She asked before pondering out loud, it was hard to tell if her words held a sarcastic or hard edge due to Alastor's earlier words. 'They say she hasn't spoken for ten whole years. Not since the queen was killed...You know, when Faria attacked the castle'

'Apparently she witnessed the Queen's death' Alastor put in, a bottle of fine wine he pilfered from somewhere in his hand. 'Can't really blame her, if you think about it'

'Cisna saw _that_?' Leonard asked disbelievingly.

Suddenly, the doors to the main hall burst open and a single soldier stumble through and towards the king as blood dripped down his side from a fresh wound. The crowd parted and gasped as they saw the man make his painful way up to the King who was frowning at the disturbance.

'What the devil is it?' Valtos barked angrily not seeing the soldiers green tunic stained red with blood.

'The town!' The soldier gasped. 'A terrible monster has attacked, killing...!'

A loud booming crash emanated from the doors the soldier came through as the doors themselves were blasted from its frame. In its place, the monster that had emerged from the caravan stomped through with dozens of the enemy soldiers that had been hiding in the caravan with it charging passed it towards the King and noble folk in the room.

'A _pyredaemos_?' Alastor exclaimed as he recognised the monster from the overhead balcony.

Pyredaemos were manmade giant fire breathers that could be summoned from the magic plane. Due to the power required to cast the appropriate summoning spell, whoever was behind this was no amateur.

'How did _that _get inside the castle?' Leonard asked as he watched the Castleguard confront the enemy before ducking down before the pyredaemos spotted him and tried to flame him.

'Probably hidden within that caravan' Alastor speculated before noticing enemy soldiers running up the staircase towards them. 'Whatever the case, we need to get out of here!'

Throwing his still half full bottle of wine at them, Alastor sent a fireball from his hand at it. Whilst spells were not as powerful without a magic imbued staff to amplify it, the explosion still managed to stun the soldiers long enough for Alastor and Leonard to get away.

Whilst the battle was occurring, King Valtos and Princess Cisna had quickly made their way up the staircase near the throne only to stop halfway when someone in Black armour stood walked down the stairs towards them a curved sword held in one hand.

Before the King could even ask how he got there and if Sarvain, who had ran up the stairs earlier, had been killed by this man, he felt a sharp pain in his abdomen as the knight's blade sank effortlessly into him. As darkness overtook him he felt his failing heart lift as if losing a heavy burden when he heard his daughter, his dear beautiful Cisna, plead for him not die. He felt elated that he could hear her voice one last time before passing away.

'Please...Father...' Cisna begged as she shook his still form tears spilling from her eyes at having seen her father murdered before her eyes just like her mother. She looked up in surprise when she heard the sound of steel upon steel just above her head.

Leonard had heard Cisna cry out when she saw her father collapse and had rushed to aid her when he saw the black knight's blade hovering just inches above her head. He did not know how it happened, but the next second Leonard found himself standing between her and the black knight his sword batting away his all the while glaring at the red slits for eye holes in the knight's helmet.

'Princess, this way!' He said to the girl forcing the knight back a step before turning round and running back the way he came clutching Cisna's hand in his own.

General Dragias stared after them for a moment before heading back up the stairs as if suddenly uninterested in them.

'Come on!' Leonard urged her having to pull her along slightly as she did not want to leave her father's body. 'We have to-'

Leonard stopped both mid-sentence and mid-step when he reached the bottom of the stairs and saw the same black knight he had crossed swords with moments ago before him issuing commands to his troops. When Leonard quickly glanced back the way he came before in front of him again, the black knight was nowhere to be seen. Shaking it off as his mind playing tricks on him, Leonard pulled the Princess after him into corridor leading away from the main hall.

_**~#~#~#~**_

'Your Excellency! Archduke Dalam!' Captain Cyrus called out to the dying Farian in his arms.

The Archduke's eyes were wide open in shock as he tried to take one final breath before succumbing to the fatal wound to his chest. The Captain gently rested the Archduke on the ground. Whilst he hated Farians in general, he held a grudging respect for the late Archduke for bravely entering enemy lands to negotiate peace. Now that attempt for peace had died with him.

'Sir Cyrus! The King!'

'What about him?' The Captain of the Castleguard asked as he spun round to face the soldier that was hurrying towards him. The news he had making this unreal nightmare even worse.

_**~#~#~#~**_

Leonard and Cisna finally stopped when the Princess's knees finally gave way and she collapsed to the ground. Taking the moment to sheath his sword and catch his breath, Leonard knelt down in front of the Princess and placed his hands on her shoulders.

'Come on, I won't let them get you' He assured her softly. 'Not you'

Cisna slowly raised her head to look at the person who had saved her from her father's killer. 'Who are you?' she asked quietly.

'I'm Leonard' He replied remembering the face little girl he had met so many years ago now being replaced by the older, more beautiful one before him.

'Why did you...?'

'Because, I care about you' Leonard said before realising what had passed his lips and quickly stepped away as he amended himself. 'We all do...care about you, I mean. Your Kingdom loves and needs you'

Cisna's expression, which had looked startled when he first spoke, changed into one of determination as she allowed Leonard to help her to her feet. A sudden roar emitting from nearby informed them of the pyredaemos being close by.

'Are you survivors?' Someone suddenly asked from a side passage entrance. Leonard and Cisna looked round to see an old man garbed in a strange green tunic and wielding a long sword beckon to them. 'This way! To the Cellars!'

Leonard quickly grabbed Cisna's hand before the two of them ran passed the old man into the passage way just as the pyredaemos's head appeared around the corner.

'Leonard? Where are you? Leonard!' Yulie called out for her friend as she suddenly appeared at the other end of the hall. She failed to notice the enemy soldier coming up behind her until she saw him fly passed her at an alarming speed and collide with the wall with a sickening crunch.

'What the hell are you still doing here?' Alastor demanded as he jogged up to her after disposing of her would be attacker. He had been separated from Leonard when the youth suddenly dashed off and was now searching for him whilst wiping out any of the enemy militia in his way.

Yulie spun round and was about to reply when she saw two more soldiers coming towards them from behind him. Noticing her gaze shift to something behind him, Alastor spun round with his staff raised and managed to deflect the enemies' swords. Undaunted by the sudden counter, the two soldiers pressed in on the Spellcaster.

After a brief moment of parrying blows expertly with his staff, Alastor was able to take out one of them with a fireball to the head but left himself vulnerable to the other. Before the enemy could strike, someone else struck from behind. Collapsing to the ground, Alastor and Yulie saw the same man who had just helped Leonard and Cisna moments ago.

'Thanks' Alastor acknowledged as he caught his breath before turning his gaze towards the pyredaemos. His eyes widened when he saw the creature was about to use the giant turret on its back. Quickly grabbing Yulie and the old man, Alastor pulled them into a nearby passageway before a blazing ball of fire whizzed passed them.

'Why you!' He growled stepping back out before he raised his staff above his head. An ice blue sphere begun forming above him and gradually expanded until it was about the size of a man's head.

Swinging his staff down in front of him, the sphere launched itself towards the pyredaemos coating everything in ice as it went just as the pyredaemos fired its cannon. The two projectiles collided in mid-air causing windows to explode and filling the entire hallway with smoke. Blinded upon being engulfed by the smoke, Alastor felt someone grab his arm and pull him away back down along the passage. Eyes blurred and watery, he could just make out the form of Yulie pulling him along.

'Where are we going?' He spluttered his mouth full of dust.

'After the old man' Yulie explained. 'Hopefully, he'll lead us to Leonard'

_**~#~#~#~**_

Whilst Alastor and Yulie were making their way through the same passage way Leonard and Cisna took, the latter two had found themselves in the underneath Balandor in the old catacombs and were currently making their way further down.

'This is like a castle under the castle' Leonard exclaimed as he looked about.

Cisna just nodded quietly clearly still distraught about what had just happened to her father and his Kingdom, although now it was _her_ Kingdom.

'Come on, we have to move!' Leonard urged her pulling her lightly to make her follow him.

As they continued to wander further down into the old catacombs, Cisna suddenly gasped as she realised where they were headed.

'Wait...This is where...' She cut herself off suddenly and walked on ahead. 'Never mind, keep going'

Despite being confused, Leonard followed Cisna down the set of stairs they were on where up ahead a huge door could be seen.

'What's this?' He asked the Princess curiously pointing towards the doors.

'I think...it's the treasure vault' Cisna explained having a vague memory being down there once long ago.

A loud crash occurring behind them caused them to freeze up. They did not even have to look round to realise that the pyredaemos had found a way down to their location and was now barrelling towards them with a guttural roar. Grabbing Cisna's wrist, Leonard charged through the doors just seconds before the doorway exploded as the pyredaemos collided with it sending them flying with the shockwave.

Blinking his eyes several times to clear away the stars he gained when his head collided with the ground, Leonard was startled to see a pair of pale grey eyes stare back at him. Quickly lifting herself off of him when she realised the position they were in, Cisna waited for Leonard to get up before the two of them made their way away from the pile of rubble that had buried their pursuer.

'What's that?' Leonard suddenly asked pointing to the far end of the vault.

Attached to the wall by many sturdy chains, a huge suit of armour stood as if at attention. Its armoured plating was a pure white with a gold trim and a royal blue cape could be seen hanging from its shoulders. On a pedestal before it, a white gauntlet bearing a strange glyph near the elbow joint and a what appeared to be a ceremonial dagger were displayed.

'We found this armour seventeen years ago, after the cataclysm' Cisna explained. 'No one knows where it came from, but our scholars think it was made by the ancients'

'Those ancients must have been pretty tall' Leonard remarked as he stared up at the thirty foot suit of armour.

'That is an _incorruptus_'

Leonard and Cisna spun round to see the old man who had helped them before walk out from behind a pillar. It was unknown how he got here before them as there was only one entrance to the vault and it was now blocked off.

'A weapon of war, crafted by an ancient race. It is an awesome, cursed power' He continued as Leonard and Cisna cast their eyes back on the knight. 'The castle's invaders are after this. They seek a holy relic known as the _Ark_, the key to the incorruptus's power' He pointed at the pedestal where the gauntlet and dagger lay.

A sudden roar caused all three of them to turn towards the pile of rubble that was starting to shift.

'It's back!' Leonard exclaimed before the pile of rubble exploded in a shower of dirt as the pyredaemos freed itself with a blast from its cannon.

'_Wonderful_' The old man muttered sarcastically.

Leonard cursed before dashing towards the pedestal.

'What are you doing?' The old man asked in disbelief clearly shocked at what the youth was about to do.

'Fighting! You said it was a weapon, right?' Leonard answered as he reached the pedestal. 'Well, now seems like a damn good time to use it!'

'Fool! Stay away from it if you want to live!' The old man ordered. 'Only the worthy are permitted to touch that!'

'Maybe so' Leonard agreed but scooped up the gauntlet anyways. 'But if I don't, we're all dead anyway!'

Ignoring anything else the old man had to say, Leonard pulled the gauntlet onto his left arm and was immediately encased in a pale blue light. Had either Leonard or the old man paid attention to their surroundings, they would have noticed Cisna kneeling on the floor speaking in an ancient tongue as she was encased in a bluish green aura.

_**~#~#~#~**_

Opening his eyes, Leonard found himself atop some sort of stone platform with the strange glyph glowing at the centre of it.

'Where am I?' He asked himself as he stared at his surroundings. 'What happened?'

'_O thee who wouldst wield my pow'r...'_

Leonard spun in a full circle as he tried to locate the source of the voice, only to gasp when he saw what appeared to be some sort of phantom spirit float down in front of him. Half of it was covered in a pale white skin whereas the other half its skin was peeling off revealing black limbs with pale blue veins crisscrossing everywhere along them. Where its heart should be, a golden sphere was embedded in its chest.

'_O thee who wouldst wield my pow'r... Draw thy blade' _It said in a hollow voice_. 'Now is the time to prove thyself worthy'_

'Worthy of what?' Leonard asked before having to dive to the side to avoid being pierced by a spear appearing out of thin air.

'Hey! Just hold on!' Leonard called out to the phantom after leaping out of the way of another blade appearing out of thin air and trying to cleave him in two. 'I don't even have a weapon!'

No sooner did he say that did a sword appear in his hands. Stunned by the sudden appearance of the weapon, Leonard almost did not duck in time before he was sliced in two horizontally. Now armed, Leonard waited patiently for a gap between his adversary's attacks. After ducking a wide sweeping blow, Leonard quickly lunged forward and thrust his blade at the phantom's heart.

The sword vanished from his hands the moment it was about to penetrate the phantom's heart, yet when Leonard backed away assuming the phantom was about to counter strike the spectral did not move. It remained hovering where it was before Leonard not trying to attack him anymore.

'_O thee who standeth and liveth before my blade. Thou art worthy of a pact. My master...'_ It said as it bowed before Leonard's feet. _'To thee, all my pow'r I bequeath'_

The phantom suddenly transformed into an ethereal mist and disappeared into Leonard surrounding him once more in a pale blue light.

_**~#~#~#~**_

The old man covered his eyes as a bright light emanated from the boy before ending just as quickly, leaving the youth surprised at what had just happened.

'He's alive? I don't believe it' He swore out loud before realisation hit him. 'Could he really be one of the worthy?'

Leonard turned to face the pyredaemos that was quickly approaching him.

_O Wizel, white warrior, wielder of the ancient sword..._

The chant that came to Leonard's lips of his own accord was abruptly stopped when the pyredaemos reached him and put its foot down right on top of him. Ignoring the other two humans in the vault, the creature began attacking the incorruptus, tearing it from the chains that bound it in place and stomping down on it yet hardly making a dent. As if suddenly sensing a threat, the creature looked to its left where Leonard was now standing, the ceremonial dagger clutched in his right hand.

_...grant me your power._

Flipping the dagger so he held it in the reverse hold, Leonard sheathed it into place on the gauntlet causing plate with the glyph to split in two down the middle whilst an enlarged version of the glyph appeared before him

_Verto._

In a blinding flash of light, the White Knight disappeared from under the pyredaemos's feet and reappeared kneeling in the place Leonard stood moments ago before rising to a standing position, its once vacant eyes briefly flashing a pure blue as it awakened from its long slumber.

'This is unexpected indeed' The old man muttered amazement as he watched the spectacle unfold before him.

At that moment, Captain Cyrus, Alastor, Yulie and several remaining members of the Castleguard came running through the remains of the vault door only to stop when they saw the White Knight moving of its own accord.

'It can't be!' The Captain muttered not believing his eyes. 'Impossible! Wh-Why is it moving?'

Yulie could not believe her eyes either. Not only that, but the Knight's presence reminded her of only one other person. 'Is that you..._Leonard_?'

Motioning with its right hand as if drawing a sword from the scabbard on its left hip, the Knight's sword appeared forming out of white light before solidifying into a ten foot blade with a keen edge. Before it could advance on the pyredaemos, the creature gave a guttural roar that shook the very foundations of the room. Alastor was barely able to conjure up a pair of barriers to protect the two groups of humans in the room before rubble began crashing down around them.

'**Fighting's too risky here**' The Knight said in Leonard's voice before charging towards the creature and hoisting it into the air. '**Change of**** plans!**'

With a great heave, both the Knight and the pyredaemos went up through the roof causing dirt and rubble to clatter noisily off the barriers.

In the main hall of the castle, Belcitane was beginning to wonder if the Ark of the White Knight had been found when the ground exploded upward allowing the pyredaemos and the very thing he was looking for to emerge from below.

'Is that...?' He gasped as he watched the pyredaemos get thrown across the room like a rag doll.

'**Now we can finish this. Prepare to d****ie, beast!'** Leonard said as he charged towards the creature with his sword raised. Swinging it effortlessly, he cut the barrel of the turret in two before the creature could realise what was happening.

Charging forward with all it had, the pyredaemos collided with Leonard yet did not force him an inch backwards. Pulling back his fist, Leonard slugged the creature right in the face only to be surprised as he watched it fly straight through the front of the castle onto courtyard.

'**Did I just do that?**' He asked himself in disbelief as he stared at his armoured fist.

As he made his way outside where the pyredaemos was just getting up, the rest of the party had finally reappeared from the treasure vault having had to take the long way up. As they followed the White Knight outside, none of them noticed General Dragias watching them from behind a nearby pillar.

After a brief struggle with the pyredaemos, Leonard finally managed to land the death blow. The creature gave one last roar before collapsing, its brief reign of terror finally finished.

'The lad did it...' The old man muttered sounding amazed that some random youth had managed to unlock and wield an ancient weapon effectively enough to smite such a powerful adversary.

Going down on one knee, the Knight reverted back into a breathless yet unharmed Leonard.

'It's over?' He asked himself in obvious disbelief whilst staring at his hands. 'But how did I...Where did I...?'

A sudden scream rang out across the courtyard followed by a loud boom as something struck the ground. Turning to the castle doors, Leonard could only stare and watch as Princess Cisna was held between the black knight and the ringleader as they were lifted into the air on what appeared to be an anchor for the huge black monoship that hovered overhead.

'Colour me surprised' Belcitane said to General Dragias. 'Who would have thought a mere child could control the Knight? This puts a kink in our plans'

'I would call this more than just a "kink"' The General pointed out.

'He's...not bad...I'll admit' Belcitane conceded grudgingly. 'But so what if he got the Ark? We can sort that out in due course. And we did achieve our _other _objective' He added meaning the deaths of the King and the Archduke of Faria.

'Indeed' The General agreed. 'Time has proven there can be no peace without wise leadership. With their leaders dead, these two nations are bound to pick up arms once again and return to their pointless war'

'Yes' Belcitane said eagerly as an evil smile tugged at his lips. 'The world we seek is close, General...'

By now, the anchor had been fully drawn in and the monoship began to fly away northwards. Leonard hung his head at his failure to protect the Princess as the others dealt with the blow their own way. The nightmare had finally come to a grand finale.

_**~#~#~#~**_

_On that day, souls once parted came together again. It seemed like mere coincidence..._

_But softly, sadly, the wheels of a cruel destiny had already begun to turn._

_**~#~#~#~**_

_**Tales of the White Knight**_

_**#**_

_**Awakenings**_

_**~#~#~#~**_

_Review if possible __& 'til next time_

_Watch this space & peace out!_


	2. The Black Knight

_Disclaimers on chapter 1_

_**~#~#~#~**_

It was hard to believe that just a few hours earlier the populace of Balandor had been celebrating the Princess' coming of age. Now, as the moon passed its zenith and begun its decent towards the western lands, the kingdom was recovering from an attack guised as a travelling circus troupe resulting in many dead and the Princess captured.

In the throne room of Balandor castle, two coffins of fine mahogany with intricate carvings lay in the centre each draped with a silken banner bearing the insignias of their burdens respective kingdoms. King Valtos of Balandor and Archduke Dalam of Faria, in an attempt to bring peace to the war that had lasted over decades, had been robbed of the opportunity and slain along with many of the brave Castleguard and the entire Farian entourage that had accompanied the Archduke.

Approaching the two coffins, Captain Cyrus of the Castleguard collapsed to his knees as he stared disbelievingly at the coffin draped with the red banner that housed his King, mentor and Father.

'It cannot be!' He sobbed punching the ground with his fist in fury at himself for again failing at his role of protecting the kingdom. 'The king cannot be dead!'

Around the throne room, three of the four people to witness the taking of Princess kept to themselves each wallowing in their own sadness for allowing the attackers for getting away.

Of the three, Alastor seemed to be the least affected although his usual scowl seemed deeper than usual. Yulie was more down heartened about being of little use to anyone, even after the attackers had left and everyone was rushing about helping the wounded. Her healing skills could only cover small wounds yet nearly all the injured were more or less on the brink of death. Leonard meanwhile seemed to be the worst of them and had shut himself off from the world around him. He had bravely, if somewhat foolishly, risked his life to activate a weapon not used in ten millennia to save Cisna only to have his victory dashed by letting them get away with her.

The fourth member, instead of keeping to himself moved to the distraught Captain's side and knelt down beside him.

'Sir Cyrus, I share your pain, but we must accept this' Sarvain consoled. 'Sadly, we are the only ones who can hold this kingdom together'

His words, instead of comforting the soldier, seemed to infuriate him instead as Cyrus rose from where he was until he was staring Sarvain in the eye.

'You _do not_ share my pain' He growled through clenched teeth. 'The King was like a father to me, since I was a child. There is no Balandor without King Valtos'

And there will be no peace without King Valtos _and_ Archduke Dalam' Alastor added indicating the gravity of the situation.

'It is very likely that Faria will hold Balandor accountable for the Archduke's murder' Sarvain speculated for all to hear. 'Presumably their governing council is still dominated by the War Faction, we must prepare the city for an almost certain invasion'

For many years, Balandor and Faria had been waging a war that seemed to imitate what had come to be known as _The Dogma War_. Despite both the years and deceased increasing on each side, neither Balandor nor Faria seemed to be ebbing in force until the rulers of their respective kingdoms, King Valtos and Archduke Dalam, decided to try a different tactic.

In Faria, the Archduke had two aides who received the title of Ban meaning head councillor and each had their own Faction. Although both had their own armies, the War Faction gained its name by going out beyond the borders of Faria and claiming ground in their kingdom's name. As the thirst for blood and victory grew within them, the War Faction made Faria an enemy of Balandor and the war, supposedly, began.

Through messengers, the King and Archduke began discussing conditions for the truce to commence. The first to take place was the stilling of the War Faction's hand and the dismemberment of Balandor's legendary _Chaos Legion_, a small band of mercenaries that fought under Balandor's flag and held off Farian forces single handed for over six years before hand. With the Archduke now beginning the next great journey, the War council were now able to continue their assault on Balandor. Tonight was supposed to seal a truce that had been slowly built over the last four years but alas, someone clearly wanted it to not happen.

'Though it pains me greatly to say it, we have no time for grief' Had anyone present in the room been in their right mind, they might have suspected Sarvain of sounding not at all remorseful as if expecting this to happen.

'For now, we have two priorities; rescue Princess Cisna and restore the kingdom' Sarvain continued sounding more brisk and to the point all of a sudden. 'Your duty as Captain of the Castle guard comes before your personal emotions'

Yulie could not help but wince at the man's coldness. The captain had just lost someone that was truly dear to him and this aide expected him to get over it like a simple dose of the sniffles? She stole a glance at Alastor knowing the Spellcaster enough to know that he would have something to say about this only to find him glaring at the aide as if he too had had an unpleasant conversation with the aide before and had just been reminded of it.

'As for the boy—Leonard, if I'm not mistaken?' Sarvain continued turning his attention on the copper haired youth that sat on the steps leading to the two coffins. 'You hold the _Knight's Ark_ and now know how to control its power. That means you have made a pact with the Knight'

Leonard apparently caught the tail of the aide's speech and turned towards him in obvious confusion.

'It is said that the Knight is a weapon of war crafted long, long ago by our predecessors, _the Ancients_. In their writings, they referred to it as the _Incorruptus_' Sarvain explained. 'When the great Cataclysm seventeen years ago opened the ground, long-buried ruins were uncovered. Among them was the temple in which the Knight was found. We recovered it, and brought it here to the treasure vault'

'The King's scholars and scientists spent years studying the artefact, but for all their poking and prodding, they were never able to unlock its secrets. What we learned was that only the people the Knight deems worthy have the right to wield its power: these are the Knight's Pactmakers. The ancient books would tell us no more than that'

'Sarvain, he's just a boy' Cyrus interrupted.

'Hey...Don't ask me how I unlocked it. I just did' Leonard mumbled barely audible. In truth, he was still trying to figure out how he did it himself. He had practically made a last gamble and damned the consequences.

'Then the Knight has chosen you, lad, and there must be a reason. But that is a question for a later time, I'm afraid' Sarvain said sounding slightly softer. 'Right now, I have a far more important task to set before you' Sarvain's next words stunned all in the room. 'You must hurry after the Princess at once, and use the Knight's power to rescue her from her captors'

Leonard's head whipped round to face the aide in surprise in disbelief whilst Alastor's head jerked up almost quick enough to strike the pillar he was leaning against shock and surprise clearly etched on his face. Cyrus and Yulie however were more vocal.

'Are you mad?' Cyrus barked at Sarvain before Yulie got in the aide's face.

'Leonard isn't part of the royal army. Why send him?'

'The circumstances demand it. The villains who attacked us are part of a group who worship the Ancients' Sarvain explained not at all fazed by the bold girl in front of him. 'We call them the _Magi_, because it is ancient magic they use to summon forth their vicious beasts. They are powerful, but not powerful enough to stand against your Knight!'

'So what? Solve your own problems!' Yulie snarled invading the aide's personal space.

'Even if what you say is true, Leonard only just obtained it' Alastor told the aide. 'He probably only won due to dumb luck and sheer determination'

'Guy's, it's okay' Leonard spoke up for the first time. 'I'll do it'

Both Alastor and Yulie turned to stare in astonishment at the youth that was now standing up and looking confident if a bit irked by Alastor's comment.

'She needs me. If I can help...' He shook his head as if to rid himself of any securities before continuing. 'I want to'

Sarvain bowed in gratitude. 'Your kingdom will be grateful'

'Then it's settled, is it?'

All heads spun towards the source of the voice which turned out to be the old man that had helped them out earlier. Whilst Sarvain, Leonard and Yulie seemed surprised, Cyrus and Alastor immediately became suspicious. Having both fought in the war against Faria, someone who could slip in unnoticed until they revealed themselves could only be classed dangerous and untrustworthy until proven otherwise and even then it was not easily given.

'We'd best hurry. The longer we tarry here, the further away they'll get' He said as he walked up to the two coffins and paid his condolences.

'And you are...?' Sarvain asked after recovering from his shock.

'The name's Eldore' The old man replied. 'Just a humble traveller, but I can swing a sword and cast the odd spell or two. I'd wager I can be of some help'

Eldore turned to look at Sarvain. 'Surely you weren't going to send him in alone?'

'Even if he did, I'd be tagging along anyway' Alastor butted in not caring if he broke the staring contest the two old men were commencing. 'You may know a few spells, but I know a whole tome's worth'

'Aren't you the modest one' Yulie noted sarcastically ignoring the glare from the Spellcaster. 'I'll be coming along too. Someone's got to keep Leonard out of trouble'

'As long as you don't get us _into_ it" Alastor muttered under his breath. Yulie apparently still heard him and sent a death glare at him.

'Then allow me to join you as well' Cyrus requested only to be rebuked by Sarvain.

'Your place is in the capital. I will need you and your men to help control the populace' Sarvain told him. 'The people are frightened; with both the King and Princess gone, _you_ must be there to reassure them'

'And leave it to strangers to decide the Princess' fate?' Cyrus argued not caring if he insulted the supposed rescue party.

'Whatever must be done. War with the Magi began the moment they beset the castle' Sarvain reasoned before his tone hardened. 'Sir Cyrus, we must prepare to defend the realm!'

Cyrus looked like he wanted to argue more but seemed to lose his will to continue. Nodding in submission to the inevitable outcome he about faced and headed out of the throne room to towards the remains of the entrance to the castle.

'We leave on the morrow' Eldore announced as if discussions were over. 'Tonight, we rest in town'

Leonard, Alastor and Yulie nodded in agreement before vacating the premises themselves. Sarvain watched them go before leaving as well leaving the throne room empty both of its guests and its usual occupant who would sit upon his throne nevermore.

_**~#~#~#~**_

It was an hour passed dawn before the sun had ascended high enough to wake Alastor up from his slumber. Instead of heading back to his temporal lodgings in the kingdom, he had decided to pass by it and collect the necessary supplies that would be needed for the journey before sitting himself down next to the griffin statue near the eastern gate and slept off the rest of the wait. His supplies consisted of two tents, a satchel full of medicinal herbs and a round dozen of potion vials that contained unique liquor that sped up mana regeneration; all of which was stored in a mystical artefact known to Spellcasters as a Storestone, a round crystal the size of an infant's hand.

As he waited for the rest of the group to show up, Alastor pondered over why he had volunteered to aid Leonard on his journey. Sure he liked they boy and he had quite the sword arm on him if a little unrefined, but he had only known him for a day, Yulie not even half that, and already they seemed to be sharing a bond of trust between them he had not felt since his days under the kingdom's flag.

As for Eldore, several things about the old man seemed out of character. Despite looking around the age of sixty, he seemed to hold himself like a man of half his age. Another strange thing about him was his clothing. Having been living in Greede for several years, he had seen many garments from all races, yet Eldore's seemed to have come from an entirely different era all together be it past or future.

'Eager to begin the journey, are we?'

'I would have left the moment the Princess was taken away in that monoship if I was' Alastor replied as he stood up and faced Eldore.

The two of them stared at the other for a long moment, as if trying to read the other's thoughts. The look Eldore was giving Alastor was actually making the younger Spellcaster's hand twitch towards his staff. The moment was broken by the sounds of their younger teammates approaching.

Seeing that everyone had now gathered, Eldore whistled a quick two-note tune calling forth one of his familiars. Within seconds, a blue feathered owl with large elfin ears soared down towards them before landing gracefully on his master's arm.

'I've sent out one of these bigelows to follow the Princess' Eldore explained to them. 'As we journey, it'll keep us informed of exactly where she is, always...'

'The bird will find the Princess for us?' Leonard asked in confusion.

'Two birds, Leonard' Yulie explained seeming to jump at the chance to help out. 'A pair of bigelows can communicate speech and images over long distances'

Leonard's eyes widened as he stared at the bird in amazement. Alastor frowned. Bigelows were just as Yulie described them making them perfect for communicating between troops and spying on unsuspecting enemies.

'It appears that the Princess has been taken east, toward the Nordia Tunnels. We must follow her there' Eldore continued as the bigelow took flight.

'Then let's get going!' Leonard said before marching towards the eastern gate with Yulie in hot pursuit.

Alastor waited until Eldore had started to head off after the youths before pushing himself away from the statue. The journey was going to be a long one. And only the gods knew what lay in their path.

_**~#~#~#~**_

In one of the many vacant rooms inside the black monoship, Princess Cisna sobbed quietly in the corner as she went over the events of last night. The main focus of her tears was at the memory of her father's still body. When her thoughts moved on, she found herself calming down when they focused upon the youth who had helped her escape and encouraged her to not give up.

As this was going on, three figures were watching her through the portal in her door. The short and portly Belcitane and the imposing silent General Dragias were currently discussing their 'guest' whilst the third member, the Farian in green armour, leaned against the wall as if pretending he was not there.

'I find it hard to believe this girl truly possesses any power' Belcitane argued having not believed the spectacle that happened just prior to the capture of the Princess. 'She seems utterly fragile to me'

'You saw what she did, Belcitane. It took us _two years_ to break the enchantment that kept the Knight's power sealed. Yet she was able to shatter _Wizel's_ in a mere instant' Dragias countered remembering all the trouble that _Dinivas' Ark_ had caused them. 'It could only have been the power of the _Athwani_'

'_When eternal ages have passed,__  
__And ancient scars emerge at last,__  
__The earth __will cry for a blade long unseen,__  
__To honor the reborn soul of the queen'_

'Was this, too, foretold in the prophecies?' Belcitane asked after reciting the verse that told of the rebirth of a long gone queen whom the Magi believed Cisna was.

'Prophecies? Nonsense!' Dragias snarled as he towered over the portly maniac. 'I'm not some puppet acting according to some idle god's script!'

Belcitane remained silent as he watched the black knight take one last glance at the Princess before returning to his quarters. Belcitane figured that he may as well go and see if his 'contacts' had any new word on the White Knight's Pactmaker and made to do so before suddenly remembering the other person in the room.

'Have you nothing better to do, Shapur?' He asked of the Farian.

'Until my Lord asks of it, I am to await further orders' The Farian Belcitane called Shapur answered, his accented voice sounding as lazy as he looked.

Belcitane grumbled to himself as he walked away. The only reason Lord Grazel kept the Farian around was because he would complete orders to the letter and was as deadly as the General, even with _Ebonwings_. And that was truly a frightening thought.

_**~#~#~#~**_

'The Nordia Tunnels lie eastward, beyond this plain' Eldore told the group as they trekked north east towards a mountain range that could be seen many miles ahead of them.

'You don't think they would have attacked the village, do you?' Yulie asked referring to Parma as she looked in the direction of the village she was raised in.

'Who knows?' Alastor shrugged. 'Although I doubt a small village of nothing important could earn the wrath of what we're up against'

'Are you calling my home insignificant?' Yulie asked suddenly itching to launch an arrow somewhere more personal than the last she shot at him.

'Whatever the case, we have to press on' Eldore spoke up before Yulie could give the younger Spellcaster a piece of her mind.

The group continued on in silence only speaking up if they saw a group of wild boar or a swarm of vespids come their way. It continued like this until Yulie got tired of it and decided to stir up some conversation.

'Have you guys heard of the Great Beast of Greydall plain?' She asked the group in general.

'The great _what_?' Leonard asked in confusion.

'The Great Beast, a massive creature that supposedly only reveals itself when you plant a specific flower at each of the three ancient gravestones that are scattered over the plain' Yulie explained mysteriously.

'You're kidding' Leonard said sounding excited.

'Let's not start jumping at legends' Eldore interrupted.

'They're kids on their first real adventure, let them dream a little before reality rears its head' Alastor called back from where he was ahead of them.

'Dreams can be watched when resting, not when walking through the wilds' Eldore countered.

Yulie huffed and looked around for something else to talk about. When her eyes landed on Alastor, a thought crossed her mind. Leonard had told Yulie just before they had met up with the two Spellcasters, about what he had learned about Alastor. As she looked at the man with indigo locks before her, she became curious about something Leonard had said coupled with a few certain facts.

'Well, what about the Chaos Legion, heard of them?' She asked.

'Name one person this side of the ocean who _has not_ heard of them' Leonard chuckled. 'Those guys were heroes back in the day'

'It's too bad they had to disband in accordance to the proposed truce' Yulie sighed sadly as she walked faster until she was keeping pace with Alastor. 'I was rather hoping to meet with them one day'

'Don't get your hopes up' Alastor grunted glancing away from the girl. 'They haven't been seen in over four years'

'Almost as long for you as well, right?' Yulie asked. 'You left the army around the same time as them, according to Leonard'

'So?'

'Well one of the Legion's members was a skilled Spellcaster, supposedly gifted in both divine and elemental lore, and was just leaving his teens when he first joined' Yulie explained shivering at the thought of someone so young so powerful. 'He was so good, the people of Balandor hailed him as the _Dark Magician_ due to his black cloak and the dark look that constantly adorned his face'

Alastor stared at Yulie who was staring right back as she walked backwards in front of him. She was grinning at him as if she had unravelled some big mystery and it was starting to bug him.

'You're him, aren't you?' She asked sounding smug. 'The Dark Magician?'

'Boar'

Yulie blinked in confusion to what Alastor just said and was about to ask what he meant when he suddenly moved forward and swiftly pulled her closer to him with his left arm whilst his right drew his staff and shoved it into the gaping jaws of the boar that was about to bite down on Yulie's neck. She gasped as she watched the boar's head burst into flames as its body was propelled back the way it came.

'Didn't we already talk about who kept who out of trouble?' He asked her quietly before pushing her away from him and sent another fireball towards the rest of the hungry pack of wild boars that were encircling them.

He pulled his head back as an arrow suddenly shot passed him from his right, actually grazing his nose, and was about to yell at Yulie when a boar to his left collapsed by his foot with said arrow jutting from its maw.

'Now who's being kept out of trouble?' Yulie retorted smugly before notching two arrows simultaneously to her bow and sent them into separate targets as Alastor glared at her before returning to the task at hand himself.

The sudden tremors coming from the ground indicated that something big was approaching them. A few seconds later, a mountain troll appeared from over the hill to their left and came charging towards them apparently smelling the blood of the spilled boar. With the others handling the boar, Leonard turned to face the oncoming troll.

'_O Wizel, white warrior, wielder of the ancient sword, grant me your power' _Willing the gauntlet to appear on his left arm and the dagger in his right hand, Leonard sheathed the dagger into the slot on the gauntlet's sleeve. '_Verto_!'

The troll, oblivious to what was happening, kept charging towards them despite being blinded by the sudden flash of light. Swinging its club downwards, the troll barely had time to register its club being cleaved in two before the same blade beheaded him.

'**What, that's it?**' Leonard asked apparently ignoring the remaining boar as they scarpered away from him. On instinct, Leonard ducked his head as another troll attempted to strike him from behind. '**No sweat!**'

Swinging his blade horizontally, Leonard made to kill the troll the same way he killed the last one. He was surprised when the troll jumped backwards to avoid it then strike back with an attack of its own putting Leonard on the defensive.

'Fool' Eldore cursed as he watched Leonard's poor performance. 'He's become overconfident over his last victory'

'Better he experiences this now than at a crucial moment' Alastor commented. 'Even if it is careless all the same'

'Shouldn't we help him then?' Yulie asked worriedly as she watched Leonard forced backwards by the troll's offensive.

'No' Eldore told her. 'He needs to learn this'

Yulie looked like she wanted to argue, and even rush in to help, but remained where she was and prayed that Leonard pulled through like he usually did.

After parrying and blocking several attacks from the troll, Leonard finally saw an opening and plunged his blade into the troll's stomach. Staggering back as the blade was pulled from its abdomen, the troll made one last desperate attack only for it to be halted by Leonard's sword burry itself in its skull.

'Let's not do that again' Leonard decided after reverting back to his normal self.

'You're making it sound like we _all_ made a mistake' Alastor said gruffly as he holstered his staff.

'That Knight may be powerful, but that doesn't mean it cannot be harmed itself' Eldore scolded Leonard once the youth returned to them.

'You mean, if the Knight receives a mortal blow, Leonard would experience it himself?' Yulie asked in concern.

'Not necessarily' Eldore corrected. 'If the Knight sustains enough damage it would revert back to the Pactmaker who would be extremely weakened by the ordeal. Also, the Knight can only be used for so long before having to revert to replenish its reserves, during which it cannot be summoned'

Leonard remained silent as he took in the information. It explained why, now that he focused on it, he could not seem to awaken the Knight's power. He could however feel the Ark gathering energy to replenish its depleted stores.

'You seem to know a lot about the Knight's, old timer' Alastor noted as he cast a shrewd look Eldore's way. 'Care to explain why?'

'Surely the safe retrieval of the Princess is far more important than an old man's history' Eldore countered sounding both evasive and deliberate immediately grabbing Leonard's attention.

'He's right, we've wasted enough time as it is' Leonard agreed before setting off in the direction of the mines at a quick pace.

Alastor glared at Eldore clearly infuriated at the man managing to worm his way out of an interrogation before following the boy knight. None of the men seemed to have noticed the saddened look that had crossed over Yulie's face when Leonard caught on to what Eldore was saying. As she chased after them, she started to wonder if she really should take the younger Spellcaster's advice before it was too late.

_**~#~#~#~**_

They had been making good time when the startled shrills of a flock of birds taking flight towards the horizon stopped them in their tracks. As the noise of the birds quietened down, the group looked around cautiously as the silence became deafening. The clattering of rocks tumbling down the nearby cliff face alerted them to the presence on the cliff above them.

'So they're trying to stall us' Leonard said as his hand went to the sword on his waist as he gazed up at the giant white furred beast with tusks huge and thick as an average man protruded from its lower jaw.

'No, that's a wild beast and the servant of no man' Eldore told them although his hand went to his own sword. 'That is _Ahwahnee_, the lord of Greydall Plain'

'Well, I don't like the way he's looking back' Yulie noted feeling discouraged as the beast gave an ear piercing roar.

'Somehow I don't think he wants a belly rub!' Leonard agreed unsheathing his sword.

'It eats us, it might' Alastor could not help but comment over Leonard's choice of words.

Leaping of the cliff, the beast landed hard on its paws before charging towards them at great speed causing them to leap out of the way.

'Sorry, but you're gonna have to let us by!' Leonard declared as he called forth his Ark.

He was unable to do any more as the beast charged at him again forcing him to leap out of its path. The beast then directed its attack at Alastor and Eldore who were casting fireballs at it. The beast ignored the small pyro spheres and charged towards them forcing the Spellcasters to dive in different directions as the beast ploughed passed them.

'I'd heard that the beast was fast, but I didn't think it was this fast!' Alastor gasped as he watched the beast skid to a halt then charge towards Leonard who was attempting to transform again.

'The realities of things are always more powerful than the legend proclaiming!' Eldore pointed out as he picked himself up.

'Doesn't mean it can't be beat!' Alastor proclaimed as he created a ring of fire round the beast only to look on in disbelief as the beast jumped up and over the flames before charging again towards him.

From behind the rock she had dove behind when the beast first charged them, Yulie studied the creature's movements as it went from attacking Leonard to the two Spellcasters and back again. After managing to gauge the creature's speed, she notched an arrow and drew back until her bow string was stretched taut as she waited for the opportune moment to strike. When the moment came, Yulie sent the arrow speeding towards the beast that was charging towards Leonard again.

Fate appeared to have other plans as the arrow that should have embedded itself into her target's neck missed entirely as the beast skidded abruptly to a halt, allowing the arrow to shoot by, and turned towards her. She remained rooted to the spot as the beast charged towards her unable to get her legs moving.

The moment the beast closed its jaws on its prey, the beast tasted nothing but air confusing it long enough so that it was unable to stop before colliding with the cliff face effectively knocking it out.

'That got him' Alastor said as he placed Yulie back on her feet.

He had cast a haste spell on himself making his own speed twice that of the white beast. The moment before the beast had reached Yulie, Alastor had sped by and literally swept the girl off her feet in passing. Yulie however, was still shaken up by the experience and had to hold onto Alastor's arm for a moment until she recovered.

'Welcome to the real world' He commented wryly earning a shove from her as she let go of him.

'What a brute' Leonard marvelled as he stared at the unconscious beast.

'Indeed' Eldore agreed. 'But these beasts do not attack humans without provocation'

'Did the Magi do something to provoke them when they passed through?' Yulie asked.

'It's possible. That, or we were in the wrong place at the wrong time' Alastor speculated before turning to the elder Spellcaster. 'What do you think, Eldore?'

Eldore pondered for a moment before answering the question. 'Though I don't like to think it, it may be that they are responding to the Knight's awakening'

The others looked at Eldore in disbelief. Was he saying that the Knight's power can make docile beasts go berserk? Whilst true that animals could sense danger faster than humans, there was no way that the power a Knight possessed could simply stir such thoughts in them. Or could they sense a hidden darkness not even the greatest of Seers could see?

'Then, this fella wasn't really a bad guy?' Leonard asked sounding somewhat responsible for what had come over the beast.

As he, Yulie and Alastor walked off towards the Nordia Tunnels, Eldore remained behind and took one last look at the unconscious beast.

'Already, the prophecy is at work' He muttered mysteriously to himself before following them.

_**~#~#~#~**_

'Shouldn't we be getting close?' Yulie moaned. Her feet were aching after walking for so long without rest. The group had been walking for so long that the sun had long passed its zenith and was now hanging over the western skies like a pendant in the fading blue.

'If you looked ahead rather than at your feet, you'd see for yourself' Alastor grunted in reply sounding tired himself although whether it was the journey's toll or at listening to Yulie complain was anyone's guess.

Looking up, Yulie saw that they were approaching the entrance to the Nordia Tunnels. The entrance itself was big enough for a troll to walk through and still have enough head room to jump. Yulie would have shivered in anticipation had she not been so exhausted. She had heard rumours and whispers about the tunnels, many of them far from pleasant, yet she was about to walk through them.

'Let's go!' Leonard said enthusiastically apparently the only one who had yet to feel the weariness of the day's journey. He had not made a step towards the entrance when Eldore's hand came down on his shoulder stopping him from going any further.

'Before we go in, we should camp here and rest our bones a while' He advised.

'I don't need any rest!' Leonard said sounding impatient.

'Don't be a fool' Eldore scolded. 'When we're tired, a Spellcaster's magic grows weak. Even one as powerful as Alastor'

'As much as I appreciate your acknowledgement that I'm better than most Casters, I'm not all that great' Alastor threw back looking annoyed at being talked about that way. 'But seriously, you think we can go on without mine and Eldore's spells?'

'They've got a point, Leonard' Yulie agreed having been saved once already by magic as well as the night before.

Leonard sighed heavily before giving in to their request. He was eager to save the Princess, but he also knew that he could not do it alone.

Moving to a small clearing, Leonard and Yulie were surprised when Alastor pulled the Storestone out of his satchel and produced two tents that could easily house five or six people in each. Whilst Leonard went off to grab firewood from the nearby trees, Yulie had gone off with Eldore to find something to eat leaving Alastor to guard the camp. Within the hour, the two of them had returned with a wild boar floating behind them informing the others that there would be a feast tonight.

It was not long after the moon had risen that the group could see the form of the blue bigelow swooping down towards where they were gathered around the campfire. After perching on his arm and having what apparently looked like a mental communication with it, Eldore turned to the group.

'It seems we have established a connection with Princess Cisna' He told them making Leonard lean forward in anticipation.

Giving a command to the familiar, the bigelow hopped off his arm and glided down onto the ground a few feet away before turning to stare at them. The bird's eyes then glowed green before an incorporeal image of Princess Cisna could be seen standing with her back to them.

'Princess!' Leonard whispered just loud enough so that the image of the Princess looked round in surprise until she saw they assumed was the bigelow bird that was with her. She then seemed to recognise the voice as she called out Leonard's name.

'They have me locked in this room, but other than that...' Her voice seemed to falter before she moved onto more pressing matters. 'How are my people?'

'They are in good hands. Everyone is preparing for Your Highness' return' Eldore assured her bowing before the image. 'We have been sent ahead to rescue you. Worry not'

'Don't get her hopes up' Alastor muttered earning an elbow to the head from Yulie. 'I'm just pointing out that we don't know what lies ahead!'

'Princess, where are you?' Leonard asked of her. 'Can you tell us about your surroundings?'

The Princess moved so that it looked like she was looking out of a window before turning back to the bigelow. 'I see sand, endless golden sand'

'The _Lagnish Desert_, huh?' Alastor pondered.

The next second, the Princess spun round suddenly as if hearing something before the image of her disappeared.

_**~#~#~#~**_

Turning round to face the opening door, Cisna steeled herself as best she could as she saw her father's murderer and a portly man approach her. Unbeknownst to the two men, a pink feathered bigelow swooped out of sight before it was noticed by either of them.

'And how are we today, dear Princess?' Dragias asked in mock kindness.

Staring into the demon knight's red eyes, the Princess felt anger boil to the surface.

'You monster. Murderer' She growled. 'I swear, you will pay!'

Belcitane could not help but laugh at the girl's words.

'She certainly is a feisty one, our little guest is' He chuckled before sobering up. 'But really, now, you're in no position to be issuing threats. In fact, my dear, you're going to be assisting us in our little project'

'Me? Help you? I don't think so!' The Princess refused stubbornly.

'Truth be told, you've _already_ been of great assistance to us' Dragias informed her stepping passed the girl before looking down at her. 'You see, it was you who released the power of the Knight'

The Princess stared up at Dragias in a mixture of fear, surprise and shock about what he was saying as he paced the room.

'Ah, but don't you remember? When you were down in the treasure vault, and surrounded by danger, a spell came to your lips unbidden, out of instinct' Dragias ceased his pacing and stared pointedly at her. 'That secret royal incantation broke the Knight's seal. Ring any bells, Princess?'

Princess Cisna gasped as images of last night started to replay themselves through her mind.

'That's right. To save your own life, you unleashed the power of the ancient civilization of _Yshrenia_. The Knight is free, and now it is just a matter of time before its power falls into wiser hands' Dragias clenched his armoured fist as if he could almost feel the power.

'That's impossible' The Princess objected weakly as she backed away. I don't know what you're talking about!'

'Perhaps you don't, but the memories of the Athwani are n your very flesh' Dragias pressed. 'Like it or not, Princess, you are the key to gaining control of our world and you belong to us'

_**~#~#~#~**_

'If they're in the desert, there's only one place they could be heading' Eldore explained to the others as they gathered round a map he had of the continent spread out over one of the abandoned barrels near the Tunnels entrance. 'The town of _Albana_'

'Didn't the Cataclysm unearth some ruins south of there that are supposedly from the Dogma Age?' Alastor asked referring to that day seventeen years ago when a tremendous earthquake shook the whole continent that had revealed the ruins at what was now known as the _Dogma Rift_.

'That could be what they're after' Eldore agreed as he stroked his beard in thought.

'If we're going to Albana, we'll have to pass through the Tunnels then cross the Lagnish Desert' Yulie concluded.

'So we go from having sore legs to being numbed to the bone then getting cooked alive, how pleasant' Alastor noted sarcastically as he walked back to his seat at the campfire. 'Better get some rest then, we've got a long trek ahead of us'

The others took the hint and retired to their makeshift quarters for the night. Although it was actually just Leonard and Eldore who retired, Yulie however went and sat down on the opposite side of the fire from Alastor.

'In case you have not realised it, I'm taking the first watch' Alastor said irritably closing his eyes and leaned back against the log he was sitting against. 'If you want, I'll let you take the next shift'

That apparently worked as he then heard the girl's footsteps move round the campfire. The next thing he knew, Yulie was pulling his cheeks in opposite directions.

'Hey! Quit that!' he snarled quietly slapping her hands away. 'What are you doing?'

'Just trying to see what you look like without the frown' Yulie replied with a satisfied smirk as she sat down next to him.

Alastor grumbled something incoherent before closing his eyes again. When he felt the girl staring at him, he opened one eye and glared at her. '_What_?'

Yulie squirmed slightly under the Spellcaster's gaze. She had been steeling herself up for this moment for a while but was now starting to doubt her chances given their history, no matter how brief.

'I was…wondering if you would teach me magic' She said in a small voice making Alastor sit up and stare at her in surprise. It was not the question that shocked him, although he was curious about that, rather her tone and how meek she looked compared to the spirited lass who actually got into the face of the late King's aide and not back down.

'Why are you asking _me_ and not the old timer' He asked her as he leaned back against the log again.

'I've known you longer' She replied smiling slightly as she realised just how silly that sounded.

'Only just' Alastor countered a twitch on one corner of his lips indicating he was thinking along the same lines before turning serious again. 'But that still doesn't explain _why_'

'Because I want to learn how to really use healing magic' Yulie explained sounding more herself again. 'If I do this, then I'll be able to watch your backs _and_ heal you guys when necessary saving you and Eldore from wasting time and energy in battle'

She brought up a valuable point, Alastor could not argue there. Seeing the determined look in her eyes, the young Spellcaster saw no option other than to agree to teach her the lore of healing. If only his teacher could see him now.

'I'm not really good at teaching, so you better have a knack for this and pick it up real quick' He told Yulie as he sat on the log and ran a hand through his hair whilst she grinned in triumph.

'Okay' He began, scratching the back of his head briefly before holding it out in front of him and channelling mana into it causing the appendage to glow a pale greenish-blue. 'The healing spell, unlike elemental spells which have different forms and levels, is only one spell which is made more powerful my the amount of mana channelled into it- with me so far?'

Yulie nodded, hanging on to his every word.

'Now I know that divine lore contains spells to cure things like poisons and paralysis, as well as inflicting it on enemies as well as a few positives that are used to aid us-'

'Like that speed spell you used earlier?'

'You want to learn this or not?' Alastor snapped. 'Anyway, this spell is the most crucial for any traveller; without it, you're dead'

'For someone who doesn't know how to teach, you sure ramble on like a professional' Yulie could not help but comment earing another glare from him which she returned with a sweet smile.

'Seeing as you can heal minor wounds, I figure you've got a decent grasp of what to do' The Spellcaster continued cancelling the spell and dropping his arm. 'A practical example to show you the gist of it, and the rest should be straight forward'

At his words, Yulie suddenly tensed. The only way she could learn was if someone had an injury more severe than anything she had healed before. Given that Alastor and herself were the only two up out of the group, she could not help but wonder if he was going to injure himself or do something life threatening to her.

She jumped when he suddenly thrust his right hand towards a nearby tree and a bolt of lightning leapt from his palm towards the wooden pillar causing a small explosion upon impact. She was about to question why he did that when Alastor made another motion with his hand and could not help but gasp in horror when she saw an injured sparrow hawk floating towards them looking rather singed on one side.

It was only by instinct that Yulie held out her hands when Alastor directed the poor thing towards her but she was too shaken up to do anything else.

'Too late to back out now' Alastor commented softly as he gently clasped Yulie's hands in his own and folded them so that the sparrow was gently covered in the girl's hands. "Cast the healing spell and slowly put more and more mana into it until you feel the time is right'

Nodding her head, Yulie focused on her task. Channelling mana first into her hands then into the sparrow, Yulie was amazed when she could not only feel the weak life-pulse of the creature in her hands, but could actually feel it becoming stronger as time passed. Suddenly feeling she had done enough, Yulie cancelled the spell and slowly pried her hands apart allowing the sparrow to suddenly fly out looking as if nothing had happened to it.

'I did it!' She exclaimed excitedly surging to her feet to watch the little bird flit away to nest somewhere more peaceful.

'You're a natural at this' Alastor commented actually smiling at Yulie's accomplishment but was unable to school his expression quick enough before she looked back at him causing her smile to widen.

'Now that you know how to do it, get to sleep and leave me in peace' He added gruffly as he made himself more comfortable against the log. 'And if you want more lessons, it'll be a thousand guilder per lesson'

'_What_?' Yulie suddenly exclaimed going from happy to shocked then angry within seconds.

'I have to put food on the table somehow' Alastor elaborated.

Yulie looked as if she was about to explode but somehow refrained from doing so and opted instead for stomping off to her tent, not caring if she woke up the others. Watching her go through the tent flap, Alastor waited until he could hear the sound of Yulie collapsing onto her makeshift bed before returning his gaze to the campfire and the peace that had finally encased him.

_**~#~#~#~**_

'So this is what it looks like inside' Leonard marvelled as they passed through the entrance to the mines into a large cavern that had several tunnels going off in different directions.

'These enormous tunnels link Greydall Plain to the Lagnish Desert on the other side of the mountains' Eldore explained to him. 'Something about the stench coming off the walls makes the beasts here go mad with anger'

'The miners were forced to evacuate, leaving everything behind. Unfortunately, some idiots thought they could use this to pillage whatever was dug up' Alastor scoffed. 'All they found was their tomb inside the belly of a beast, providing they weren't smashed into the ground or ripped to shreds first'

'You're making this place sound _so_ inviting' Said Yulie shivering as if a cold wind had just blown by.

'We have to keep going' Leonard declared as he stared at each of his companions. 'The Princess needs us'

'Then you can go first, Mister Hero!' Yulie replied a definite edge to her words as if angered by what her best friend just said. Leonard noticed it but shrugged it off as her just trying to steel her nerves for the challenges ahead.

Choosing what he hoped was the main tunnel, Leonard headed off down it. He was determined to save the Princess and no berserk beast or enemy soldier was going to stop him.

_**~#~#~#~**_

Despite the news from his spies being of great importance, Belcitane was in no hurry to deliver it to the General. Casting a wary eye over Shapur who was once again leaning lazily against the wall of the ship, Belcitane opened the door to General Dragias' quarters and sauntered inside before reporting to the knight in black armour who was facing away from him.

'Our pursuers have entered the Nordia tunnels. This might be our chance to reclaim the Ark of the White Knight' He suggested causing Dragias to turn his head in the portly man's direction.

Seeing he had the General's attention, Belcitane quickly explained his plan. 'Nordia is a dangerous place, inhabited by powerful and vicious beasts. They will not have an easy time reaching the far side. It would be especially so, if they were to encounter some of our troops to only come face to face with you at the exit'

'Are they so powerful that _I_ must deal with them?' Dragias questioned his somewhat insane assistant.

'The boy was able to defeat the Pyredaemos, was he not?' Belcitane pointed out. 'We should not take any chances'

Dragias laughed at the logic in the man's words. 'Very well, I shall greet them personally. Then they can taste the might of _Ebonwings_, the Knight-lord of darkness!'

Belcitane bowed low as the General vacated the room with a billowing of his cape. As he watched the knight leave, an insane grin spread over his features. If he was lucky enough, the boy would defeat the general yet be weak enough to kill him himself earning him the gratitude of Lord Grazel himself.

_**~#~#~#~**_

'Impossible!' Cyrus barked in anger as he listened to the discussion slamming his hands down on the conference table. 'We know that Faria will attack us sooner or Later! It is vital we strike _first_!'

Sarvain stared coolly at the Captain of the Castleguard from behind interlocked fingers before countering.

'No, now is not the time for that. Our first priority must be to rescue the Princess and restore the monarchy' He replied smoothly before adding a barb of his own. 'I think you are forgetting your place, my good captain!'

Cyrus huffed in annoyance and dismissal at the Aide's last remark. 'You speak as if _you've_ become the King!'

'I could say the same for you, now couldn't I, Sir Cyrus?' Sarvain countered. 'Listen to my advice, _friend_. Your hatred for Faria is beginning to cloud your judgment.

'Keep your advice, _"friend"_!' Cyrus snapped slamming his fist onto the table again making the members of the conference to either side of him jump in fright. 'I will act as I see fit!'

With that closing comment, Cyrus stormed out of the conference room barging through the doors before the doormen had a chance to open them for him. Back at the conference table, one of Sarvain's servants kneeled down beside his master.

'What should we do? If we let him go, we risk ruining _everything_' He asked quietly so that no one else could hear them.

'One man alone will not stop us' Sarvain assured him before an afterthought occurred. 'But just in case, place him under surveillance'

The servant nodded and left to do his master's bidding. Even if one man could not interfere let alone stop his master's plans, there was nothing wrong about being cautious just in case it did happen.

Outside in the courtyard, Cyrus and a handful of his best soldiers marched towards the gateway leading to Greydall Plain. As he pulled further and further away from the castle, Cyrus allowed himself to look back on the day he had been taken in.

He had only been ten and on the streets when he found Queen Floriane's necklace on the ground, probably dropped when she was making one of her tours of her kingdom, and felt it best to return it to the Queen. He did not expect to be granted an audience with both the Queen _and _King let alone being personally thanked. When he could not find his voice when the King asked for what he wanted for a reward, the King asked that he called him _father_ in return for protecting the realm from future enemies.

King Valtos believed that Cyrus would one day protect the realm. But Cyrus saw differently. He could protect nobody, not his Queen, not his father, not even the princess. He could protect no one at all.

_**~#~#~#~**_

The four Magi soldiers stood about aimlessly as they waited for the enemy to show up. They had been ordered to wait and detain their so-called pursuers for as long as possible, yet none of them believed that four travellers could survive the beasts of Nordia.

Hearing the sound of faint footsteps, the soldiers prepared themselves for battle before hearing what sounded like a howl getting closer and closer from the direction of the travellers. The next second, an invisible force caught them and sent them speeding back the way they came.

The two guards that were at the end of the narrow tunnel jumped in surprise when they saw four of their comrades suddenly shoot out of the tunnel and collide with the wall at the other side. Peering down the tunnel from whence the fallen had came, the two soldiers were greeted by an arrow to the throat or a fireball to the face sending them to the next realm. A minute later the four travellers appeared with two of them having their weapons drawn until they saw no one else about.

'Remarkable' Eldore murmured as he stared at Alastor and Yulie as the two put away their weapons.

'It was just a simple wind spell' Alastor shrugged off.

'A simple wind spell? You just took out four soldiers with it!' Leonard protested as he examined the bodies that lay crumpled against the far wall.

'Wind spells and enclosed spaces make a deadly combination' Alastor explained as they continued on their journey. 'I'm actually more impressed with Yulie's kill; straight through the guy's throat at nearly a hundred paces. No easy feat even for the best of archers'

Yulie looked away as her cheeks reddened. She hardly ever received any praise for her natural skill with a bow yet coming from a guy she was constantly butting heads with, despite his help teaching her how to properly use healing magic, was quite the compliment.

'I see the exit!' Leonard exclaimed from up ahead causing the others to hurry to his location.

They had been travelling through the tunnels for what felt like most of the day and with the number metre wide spidersprogs and basilisks they had gone through, as well as the odd Magi now and again, all they wanted to do now was exit the mines and rest in the open for the rest of the day.

Unfortunately, it would not be as easy as a silhouette of a figure in familiar black armour stood in their way.

'So we meet again' General Dragias greeted them.

'Give us back the princess!' Leonard demanded as he drew his sword and pointed it at him.

'Oh, I'm afraid not' Dragias replied mockingly. 'On the contrary, I believe you have something for me'

'Yeah, a one way trip to the after world!' Alastor said pointing his staff at the ground below Dragias' feet causing the black knight to leap to safer grounds as stone spikes sprung up from beneath his feet.

'You wish to settle this with blades? How foolish' He growled drawing his own sword and quickly closing the distance between them.

Alastor barely had time to pull back far enough before the blade aiming for his neck cut cleanly through his staff. Leaping back, he cast a wind spell at the ground propelling him away and stunning Dragias long enough for Leonard and Eldore to close in with their swords at the ready.

Dragias parried their attacks with unparalleled skill before swinging his sword behind him on instinct to deflect an arrow Yulie fired at him. Reversing the direction of the blade, Dragias launched a sonic sword slash at the girl before continuing his duel with both Leonard and Eldore ignoring the cry of surprise Yulie made as she leapt out of the way of the attack.

Backhanding Eldore hard with his free hand, Dragias struck Leonard's sword with enough strength to knock the youth to the ground. As he made to finish the boy off, Yulie sent a trio of arrows at him forcing the black knight back a step as he deflected the projectiles then had to jump back further as a wall of icicles sprung up in front of him.

This gave Eldore and Leonard enough time to regroup and simultaneously attack the black knight only for Dragias to parry their attack easily.

As the combatants took the sudden lapse in the battle to get their breath back, Dragias decided to bring their little spectacle to an end. Putting his hands out in front of him, a pitch-black sword in an equally dark scabbard appeared before him.

'_O Dinivas, d__eliverer of dark and dread, ruler of the ancient shadows,__  
__grant me your power._

Grabbing the scabbard in one hand, Dragias pulled the sword slowly out of its sheath causing the opening of the scabbard to split open in the appearance of wings and revealing a very familiar glyph.

_Verto'_

A fiery orange light emitted from the Ark causing Leonard and the rest to turn away for a moment. When the light died down and they turned to face their opponent they were stunned when they saw another Incorruptus where Dragias had been.

This Black Knight was a stark contrast to Leonard's White Knight and seemed to have a more avian appearance and wielded a lethal rapier-like sword.

'Is this villain a Knight, too?' Eldore gasped as he and the others took a step back from their adversary. 'The Black Knight, _Ebonwings_'

Despite being surprised by the new development, Leonard and Alastor knew they had to work fast in order to even the odds in the battle. As Leonard begun calling forth his White knight, Alastor cast a haste spell on himself and dashed forward so that he was now standing before, and somewhat below, the Black Knight.

'Down here, _Chicken-Knight_!' He called getting the Knight's attention as he began conjuring two separate spells at the same time.

Charging a fire spell in one hand and a wind spell in the other, he sent both up at the hawk-like face of the Black Knight. The two spells combined creating a pillar of fire spearing from his hands upward and smashing into the ceiling as Dragias pulled his head back just in the nick of time.

'**How pathetic'** He said as he attempted to first crush Alastor under his foot then stab the scurrying rodent with his sword before having to use it to block the sword of the White Knight as Leonard charged towards him and drove him back.

'**Now we'****re talking, Knight versus Knight!'** He said as he brought his blade down upon the Black Knight's again.

From his seat on the ground, Alastor watched the two colossal warriors battle as he caught his breath. Without a staff, he had to charge more Mana into the two elemental spells he had cast and it had been draining enough just having to conjure the two elemental spells simultaneously.

As he got back to his feet, Alastor was pondering what spell to cast next when he felt something hit his head. Staring upward, he saw that the ceiling where his spell had struck had weakened the structure and was now collapsing right on top of him. The next second, someone had collided with him at high speed sending both out of the way of the collapsing ceiling.

Gasping for breath, Alastor opened his eyes allowing dark blue to meet grey blue indicating that Yulie was the one who saved him and was currently pinning him to the ground. She was apparently stunned by what she just accomplished as it took a moment for her to realise where she was before quickly getting off of him.

'You okay?' She asked not looking at him so as he would not see her blushing again.

'Well you didn't break any ribs, I can say that' He grumbled in reply before looking back at the duel between the Knights.

It was too close between them to figure out who had the upper hand. Even Eldore had kept away from them, knowing that to try and aid Leonard, even with spells, would inevitably see him get crushed by either of them.

Dragias himself had come to realise how evenly matched they were. The youth who wielded the White Knight was growing in power at an impressive rate and all he was doing was giving the lad more experience. Deciding to cease now whilst he still had strength, Dragias spread open the wings that had giving the Knight its name and took flight out of the exit and into the fading sunlight.

Realising that the battle was over, Leonard reverted back to normal and inhaled deeply clearly exhausted from the experience as the others gathered round him.

'It seems you're not the only Pactmaker' Eldore noted as he sheathed his sword.

'Rather obvious, don't you think?' Alastor inquired sarcastically.

'Just what exactly is going on?' Yulie asked clearly confused with the events that had occurred over the last few days. And she was not the only one.

'The Dogma Legends speak of _five Knights_, and the Magi already have one of them' Eldore explained to them.

'Guess that explains why they were looking for the white one in Balandor and how they knew of it' Alastor noted. 'They probably want them all for themselves'

'Gods help us all if they do' Eldore said causing the others to stare at him with questioning looks. 'If they are all together, it'll bring about the _Final Awakening_, just as foretold in the Dogma Legend. Though exactly what that is, I cannot say'

'The Final...Awakening?' Yulie repeated nervously whilst Alastor snorted in disbelief.

'_Final Slumber_ sounds more appropriate with the power they'll have with those things in their grasp' He said making Yulie more scared than nervous.

'I wouldn't worry, they'll never get my Knight' Leonard assured them. 'I swear it'

'They will when they pry that Ark off your dead body' Alastor pointed out bluntly causing Yulie to slam her elbow into his already bruised ribs making him double over in pain.

'Stop being such a pessimist!' She growled at him.

'Regardless of how he is, Alastor was right to suggest we do not get the Princess' hopes up' Eldore defended him. 'We had no idea they had a Knight of their own and our mission could have ended this very day'

Yulie knew that both Eldore and Alastor were right but that did not make her feel better. Something in her gut told her that things were going to get harder still from here onwards. And no one was going to be the same afterwards.

_**~#~#~**__**#~**_

_Review if possible & 'til next time_

_Watch this space & peace out!_


	3. Intrigue in Albana

_Disclaimers on chapter 1_

_**~#~#~#~**_

'That cursed boy, he may be more than we bargained for, Belcitane' Dragias ranted as he strode furiously into the meet room of the monoship where Belcitane was currently located. 'We cannot allow him to grow any more powerful than he already is'

Belcitane curled his moustache around one of his fingers. To him, murder and extermination was his bread and butter and having the chance to come up with a plan to kill a Pactmaker was very enticing to him. An evil grin came to his lips as another of his brilliant plans came to mind.

'I do have one suggestion, my general' He said not bothering to wipe the look off his face.

'Go on' Dragias prompted. He had kept Belcitane as his aide due to his cunning mind and it was his plan that allowed them to sneak into Balandor undetected.

'A pact with a Knight is forever, leaving us but one obvious way of breaking it' Belcitane explained. 'The boy's death'

'_Assassination_? I take it you have a plan?' Dragias queried causing Belcitane's grin to widen.

'I _always_ do, general' Belcitane answered darkly before outlining the plan. It was extremely risky on their part but when it succeeded, the Magi would be in procession of one more Ark along with whatever lay in the ruins south of Albana.

_**~#~#~#~**_

The Lagnish Desert was known for its endless barren landscape, unique mushroom-like rock formations, high temperatures and fierce creatures that seemed to thrive on the heat that beat down on its endless golden sand dunes. Asides the rare Garuda tree that grew extremely nutritious fruit, if eaten when ripe, and the occasional oasis, there was pretty much nothing to keep a wandering traveller curious and interested as they made their way through it toward the town of Albana or its mountainous border.

'It's _hot_' Yulie moaned as she wiped away the sweat that was dripping down her face.

'Well it _is_ a desert' Alastor pointed out.

'Better get used to it, Yulie' Leonard consoled her knowing that this temperature was likely to shorten her already short fuse.

'Albana is not as far as you might think,' Eldore said in hopes of cheering her up. 'But there are monsters in these sands. We'll have to keep our strength up for the battles ahead'

'Easier said than done' Alastor said pulling at the collar of his tunic as if trying to coax a cool breeze to blow his way. 'In this heat, monsters and enemies are the least of our problems'

'Can't you whip up a cool breeze with your magic, that's what it's for' Yulie asked or rather accused Alastor.

'No, that's _not_ what it's for' The younger Spellcaster replied sounding as if they had had this conversation before.

Yulie huffed before smirking as an idea came to mind. 'Is that part of a Spellcaster's code or are you just trying to hide the fact that you're too weak to cast more than beginner spells without a wand or staff?'

If looks could kill, Yulie would have probably been dead thrice over judging by the look Alastor threw her way. If there was one thing she knew about Alastor, it was his pride of being an above average Spellcaster. By calling him weak, she was hoping that he would prove her wrong and cast a rather cold spell over the group, or at least her if just to shut her up. She was therefore surprised when he suddenly smirked at her.

'Nice try' He told her before walking off. 'But you'll just have to endure like the rest of us'

'Then you're carrying me if I collapse!' She yelled as she chased after him.

'They seem to be getting along better' Leonard noted as he and Eldore followed behind them at a reasonable pace. Usually whenever they started an argument it normally ended once someone else intervened. Now it seemed like they annoyed one another just for kicks.

'Possibly a side effect from Alastor teaching her some magic to further her skill with a bow' Eldore mused remembering what he saw last night as he watched Yulie shove Alastor who half-heartedly attempted to swat her upside the head as he kept walking but missed as she jumped out of reach. 'I must admit, he could probably teach me a spell or two'

Leonard nodded in agreement. He had remembered seeing the two of them at the campfire last night as he returned from a nearby pond where the bigelow relayed a message from Cisna. What he did not know was that Yulie had seen him follow the bigelow towards the pond and had become heartbroken as she watched him and the Princess become more close to one another.

'Or it could probably just be the heat' Leonard added as an afterthought. 'They can't be bothered summoning the strength to fight and are just conserving their energy for when we get somewhere cooler'

'Then let us hope that we have to remain here a while' Eldore agreed curious as to what may happen if they stopped arguing so much.

Up ahead, Alastor had reached the top of a sand dune and was scanning the hazy horizon in search of enemy soldiers, fire giants and if possible a nearby oasis although the closest one was near Albana if his memory was correct. All he could see was barren rocks, endless dunes and the occasional cactus every now and then.

'We should have tried to press on a bit _before_ camping' He grumbled as he wiped his drenched brow. That was the thing he hated about deserts, they were either too hot or too cold, nothing in between.

Glancing back at the approaching group, Alastor was not surprised to see Leonard and Yulie already showing signs of fatigue whereas Eldore seemed to be handling it alright for the moment. It was fortunate that it generally was a straight shot to Albana rather than a winding trip like through the Nordia tunnels which took them nearly a whole day to navigate.

'Hey, you think I could learn how to dance?' Leonard suddenly asked out of the blue as the young Spellcaster re-joined them.

'No, definitely not!' Yulie instantly replied her words sounding a bit forced.

'I never would have figured you a man of culture' Eldore chuckled.

'I'm not even going to ask' Alastor said bluntly as he looked at Leonard as if he had grown an extra head.

'Come on, swordsmanship and dancing isn't really far apart' Leonard pressed.

'You barely scratch moderate in swordsmanship, and that's before you gained the Ark and somehow became better' Yulie said harshly as she stomped off ahead. 'And your partner would have broken toes before the first dance was over!'

Leonard stared in amazement at his friend as she walked away. Alastor and Eldore were surprised themselves but the former seemed to be connecting a few dots and gaining a shrewd picture of what might have happened during the time Leonard and Yulie were away from the camp last night.

'I don't know what brought this up or what happened last night, but I suggest you _don't_ say anything to rekindle those memories until we're somewhere where we can't lose someone easily' Alastor advised as the three of them followed after their companion.

'Indeed, this trip is perilous enough as it is' Eldore agreed as he looked around cautiously.

Leonard nodded glumly. Sure he and Yulie had had arguments before, but none of them had the harshness of this one. Either the heat was really getting to her or she was really upset about something. Not once did he think of wondering if she may have seen him with Cisna last night.

Yulie knew she should not have snapped at Leonard like that. Then again, until fully healed, salt on an open wound still stung and she was still coming to grips with realising that Leonard would never see her in the same light he held the Princess in.

Stopping for a moment in a shaded area, Yulie took in a deep breath to calm herself only to cough violently as a horrendous stench filled her lungs. Glancing round to find the source of the smell, Yulie took into account that the shade was connected to two reddish stumps that were, as she looked up, the legs of a fire giant. The red skinned colossus stared back down at her before raising its spiked club above its head.

Her reaction was pure instincts. Drawing her bow and notching an arrow to it as she jumped backwards, Yulie channelled an ice spell into its tip before launching the arrow at the giant's face. The ice arrow immediately covered the giant's face in a thin layer of ice upon impact allowing Yulie to get further away as the giant reeled in pain.

'Hope it hurts!' Yulie panted as she blinked the sweat out of her eyes. Since when did she strike another giant in the head, and why were they in sync for that matter? As she pondered that, the ground seemed to rise up to greet her and she could vaguely hear someone call her name as she slipped out of consciousness.

Skidding to a stop as he reached her, Alastor hastily turned the girl so that she was facing the sky and quickly checked to see if she was okay. He did not know whether to sigh in relief or curse when he found out she had just collapsed due to the heat and was unable to get the chance.

Hearing Leonard call out his name, Alastor looked round just in time to see a large red hand swing at him. The barrier spell he hastily cast did nothing to stop the blow but rather take the brunt of the impact and slow it just long enough to move so that he would take the blow instead of the girl he held in his arms.

Leonard and Eldore watched helplessly as their two companions were sent flying through the air and over a sand dune.

'Check on them, I'll keep him busy!' Leonard said before summoning the Ark. Instead of speaking the usual chant, Leonard yelled out "Verto" and was too focused to realise he had transformed as he charged at the red giant.

As Leonard and the giant traded blows, Eldore had finally managed to traverse the dune and was jogging over to where Alastor and Yulie had landed. The former seemed to be alright save for a dazed look in his eyes as he sat up whilst the latter seemed to be stirring as well.

'What hit me?' she groaned quietly as she attempted to sit up.

'Nothing' Came the reply from Alastor as he untangled himself from her and slowly stood up. He breathed in sharply as he straightened his back. 'You were just along for the ride'

'You collapsed in front of a fire giant. When Alastor tried to help, the giant made a swipe at both of you sending you both here' Eldore explained as he cast a healing spell on the girl. 'You were fortunate that Alastor managed to cushion the blow with a barrier spell otherwise we may not be having this conversation'

Yulie stared at the ground before her as everything came flooding back. She nearly gulped when realising that she nearly had become giant fodder if it were not for Alastor's intervention. Glancing at the younger Spellcaster who had his hand on his back as he healed it, Yulie was about to thank him when suddenly a large blade of polished steel landed point first between them.

Upon realising that it was the sword of the White Knight, the three of them rushed up the dune to see Leonard squaring off against _two_ fire giants. Despite the odds against him, and without a weapon, Leonard held his own and proved that by ducking under one of the clubs swung at him then delivering a strong punch to the attacker. The force of the blow caused the giant's head to twist round with a sickening crunch so that it was facing the opposite way before collapsing to the ground.

As Yulie and Eldore watched Leonard grapple with the remaining fire giant, they suddenly noticed an unusual, yet refreshing, dip in the temperature that seemed to be emanating from Alastor. Looking in the Spellcaster's direction, they saw Alastor conjuring the same ice spell he had used against the pyredaemos in Balandor yet this time without the aid of a staff.

'Leonard! Get out the way!' Yulie yelled to the White Knight.

Glancing round at the voice of his best friend, Leonard saw the ice blue sphere shinning above Alastor's head. Without giving it a second thought, he shoved the fire giant away from him and dashed out the way. He moved not a moment too soon as Alastor sent the ice sphere hurtling towards the stumbling giant striking its chest and freezing it solid. Coupled with the force of the impact, the now frozen giant fell to the ground where it smashed like a fragile sculpture upon the frosted ground.

Looking round after transforming back, Leonard looked round at the ice covered landscape and grimaced when he saw the still intact innards of the giant.

'Remind me not to get on your bad side' He said as he walked towards the others who were walking towards him.

'You've got your Knight, I've got my magicks; we're both dangerous to the other' Alastor shrugged nonchalantly although sounding more tired after casting an advanced spell without a staff.

'And thankfully, both on the same side' Eldore added although it was difficult to tell if he was jesting or truly grateful for it.

'The realm couldn't be in safer hands' Yulie remarked sarcastically as she kicked at the ground sending a white spray into the air.

'You're still alive, aren't you?' Alastor retorted pointing out that she had been saved several times by either himself or Leonard.

Yulie rolled her eyes as the group began moving again towards Albana.

'Thanks for saving me' She mumbled quietly to Alastor as she kept pace with him.

'I'm sure you'll return the favour before this journey's over' Alastor replied smirking slightly.

Her usual confident grin reattached itself to her face at his words. 'Got that right'

_**~#~#~#~**_

Despite the cool breeze that had refreshed them slightly after the battle, all too soon the heat once again took its toll on the group. Even Eldore and Alastor seemed to be succumbing to its burning gaze although not as much as Leonard who was starting to trail behind them. Just when it seemed like they were going to perish, Yulie pointed out what appeared to be the wall of a fort or some town.

'Albana, where the welcomes are as hostile as the desert' Eldore quipped.

'At least in there it's more shaded' Alastor commented before grabbing the back of Leonard's tunic as the youth began to fall over. 'Come on, Sir Knight. Your Princess awaits you'

'I'm not tired' Leonard protested as he tried to stand on his own two feet again. 'I'm just really thirsty'

'What a coincidence, so are we' Alastor said sarcasm dripping from his words.

'If you want him to move, do this' Stepping up to the other side of Leonard, Yulie reached up and twisted Leonard's ear causing him to straighten up to try and lessen the pain.

'Yulie!' He cried as Yulie began to walk towards the entrance to Albana. 'You promised you wouldn't do that anymore!'

'It was too tempting to pass up' Yulie replied cheerfully as she let go of his ear.

Leonard glared at the girl as he rubbed his sore ear. He usually got that whenever he tried to sneak away from doing work often being caught by surprise no matter how careful he was. He had half a mind to blurt out that she just wanted to show off in front of Alastor but the other half told him not to so not to entice the girl's wrath.

'Why don't we get inside the town and find somewhere to rest before you two continue your little lover's quarrel?' Alastor suggested tugging at the collar of his tunic again. It was a pity that he had to pass Yulie on his way through the entrance as the girl slugged him hard in the shoulder causing him to stumble away slightly.

Passing through the front gate, Leonard and Yulie looked round in amazement. Despite the temperature, people were going about their business as if this was normal to them. Wargs, humans, papitaurs and what appeared to be giant toads were walking to or from somewhere, hauling crates or just lounging about.

'This place is hopping' Yulie marvelled as she looked about.

'You might want to rephrase that' Alastor suggested inclining his head towards several of the leather vested amphibians just behind her that were apparently on gate patrol. 'Their race governs this town'

Yulie stared in disbelief at the creatures that barely came up to her waist but held her tongue just the same.

'So, what now?' Leonard asked unsure of what their next move was.

'First, we need to find out if anyone's seen any black monoships' Eldore supplied as he stroked his beard in thought.

'Right' Leonard nodded taking several steps forward before retracing his steps and looking at the elder Spellcaster again. 'Uh, how?'

Alastor shook his head before walking up to the nearest person who did not appear to be busy.

'Hey, where's the nearest tavern around these parts?' He asked bluntly.

'Just follow the main road towards the Don's residence and listen out for the warg advertising their latest attraction' The man replied pointing along said road not at all perturbed by the question.

'Thanks' Alastor said before going back to the group.

'I always wondered if you were an alcoholic' Yulie commented loud enough for the Spellcaster to hear.

'It's not the alcohol we're going there for' said Eldore already cottoned on to the younger Spellcaster's plan. 'Taverns are usually the place where folk speak of many things from the unbelievable to the helpful. Hopefully, our monoship is among them'

'Depends on how good one's hearing is' Alastor said knowingly. 'As well as how full one's coin purse is and how often you refill their tankard'

Leonard and Yulie looked at one another before shrugging in confusion at what the younger Spellcaster said. As they followed the main road, the two youths stared about at their surroundings clearly enthralled being somewhere other than Balandor, Parma and the surrounding plains.

When they reached the plaza, the first thing the travellers noticed was the rather lavishly sculpted palace that seemed to be the proverbial crown jewel of Albana. It was quite obvious that this was the residence of the _Don _the man referred to. On the other side of the plaza, a warg was calling out to the bustling crowd about the tavern he's advertising for's main attraction.

'That must be the place' Leonard noted before walking up to the tavern's door and opening it wide.

It was clear from just glancing about that the tavern was very popular as there were nearly no empty tables. There also seemed to be an air of excitement engulfing the tavern and it soon became apparent as soon as the group claimed the remaining empty table.

Emerging from behind a red curtain draped across the back of the stage set at the far wall, a girl no older than Leonard and Yulie in a rather revealing dress stepped out to thunderous applause. The moment she took her place in the centre of the stage, a rather lively tune began. The youth immediately began dancing in rhythm to the tune and had nearly everyone clapping and cheering within the first minute.

Leonard himself had become so enthralled in the girl's movements that he did not realise he was being talked to until Yulie flicked his ear.

'Should I ask her if she's single?' She teased him.

'N-No, it's not that' Leonard denied although he was definitely starting to blush after that query. 'It's just that she's just so flexible'

Yulie's eyebrows leapt towards her hairline in response to her best friends somewhat lame excuse. 'Is that in reference to now or how she might be _elsewhere_?'

Both Alastor and Eldore snorted in laughter as Yulie's question turned Leonard's faint blush into a full facial reminiscent of a setting sun. Seeing as he was going to be ridiculed the longer he stayed put, Leonard got up saying he was going to ask around about the monoship. Pretending to pout as her target walked away, Yulie turned to face Alastor who was sitting across from her only to see him frowning as he looked at the dancer.

'Don't tell me _you're_ wanting to know if she's single, Magician-boy' She called out to him.

Asides his eyebrow twitching at his nickname, Alastor ignored the lavender haired youth as he continued to stare at the blonde haired dancer whose name was apparently Kara judging by what the patrons were calling her. He was not entirely sure, but it seemed like she was constantly glancing at Leonard as the youth made his way round the tavern asking about the monoship. A sudden strike to his knee diverted his attention back to a now cross Yulie.

'Are you actually listening to me?' She asked heatedly almost daring him to say no.

'Perhaps if you kept your trap shut and used your eyes, you might see what I do' Alastor retorted as he rubbed his sore knee.

'What's that supposed to mean' Yulie asked more confused than angry before a defeated Leonard collapsed into his chair.

'It's no good. No one's talking' He sighed.

'Do you think maybe we're in the wrong place?' Yulie asked.

'No, we're in the right place alright' Alastor quickly put in. 'If no one's speaking then it's possible one, or some, of them are still around'

Eldore nodded in agreement. 'Notice anything else unusual?'

'Well actually' Yulie paused as she glanced round the tavern. 'It does kinda feel like we're being watched'

'There's at least six although there's still more unaccounted' Alastor supplied his eyes darting about as if trying to catch one off guard. 'Including the dancer, if I'm not mistaken'

'Maybe it's just because we're strangers here' Leonard reasoned.

Alastor was unsure about that. Whilst he could sense the obvious enjoyment of the crowd that had gathered around the stage due to Kara's performance, there also seemed to be something else hidden inside it. It was hard to put his finger on but his gut told him that it was not going to be good for them.

'Either way, don't let your guard down; we _are_ in their territory' He murmured gaining nods of agreement.

When a great cheer erupted from behind him, Leonard turned round to see that Kara had jumped off the stage and was now dancing around the tavern amidst its cheering patrons. Becoming more enthralled with the girl's dance routine, Leonard almost did not catch the hard glint that appeared in her eyes before a dagger was sent speeding towards him.

Quickly rolling onto the table then somersaulting over the assailant to avoid the weapon, Leonard suddenly found himself dodging the swings of a patron's sword before ramming his shoulder into the man's chest.

Another patron tried to assault him with a barstool only to be sent flying by a kick from Alastor before having to duck as a sword was swung at his head from behind actually trimming the tips of his spikes. Before the patron could attack again, Yulie had knocked him out with a bottle to his head whilst a fourth was sent crashing through a table by Eldore.

Grabbing a discarded sword, Leonard made a swipe at the dancer only to have her hand spring off his back and towards the rest of the patrons who had now encircled the four travellers.

'Looks like we're surrounded' Yulie noted.

'Shall we give them a chance to surrender?' Alastor suggested sounding not at all perturbed about the dilemma.

'What did I do?' Leonard asked of Kara who was smirking at him.

'Step outside!' She ordered.

The travellers reluctantly complied with her command and slowly made their way out of the tavern. Upon reaching the plaza, they were once again surrounded whilst the folk who were already in the plaza vacated the area preferring to keep out of someone else's business.

'We didn't do anything to you or your friends' Leonard told the still smirking Kara. 'What do you want with us?'

'You're all looks and no smarts, pretty boy' Kara chuckled in amusement. 'Need I spell it out? We want you _dead_'

'It's gonna take a lot more than these thugs to take us down' Alastor muttered so that only his companions could hear him. 'And if she, or any of them, is working with the Magi, then they're bound to know that'

'What do you mean?' Leonard asked quietly.

'It means she must have an ace up her sleeve' Eldore explained.

'Take them out!' Kara ordered her men.

'I've beat up monsters a lot prettier than you' Yulie scoffed as their assailants closed in on them from all sides.

'Yeah, but can you take us without your weapons?' One of them taunted.

It was true. During the scuffle inside the tavern, several of the more nimble assailants had procured Leonard's, Yulie's and Eldore's weapons leaving them without weapons. Yet despite that knowledge, none of them appeared to be daunted by the battle before them even though they were outnumbered four to one.

'I've got a better question; what's the worst sort of spell to cast in a desert?' Alastor countered before he and Eldore cast a wind spell at the ground.

Kara watched in astonishment as a large cloud of sand engulfed her men and their targets hiding them from view. After a few tense minutes in which an assortment of painful cries, weapons being swung, and unleashed spells could be heard, the sand finally settled to reveal the four travellers standing amidst her fallen men and wielding their weapons.

Yet despite having the tables turned against her, Kara was still smirking as if she knew something the others did not.

Before Leonard could question the dancer on the whereabouts of Cisna, what could only be described as a pulse of dark magic surged through him.

'What was that?' he asked out loud.

'You sense it, too' The elder Spellcaster stated as he tightened his grip around his replacement sword. 'There's something very different about that woman'

'I see you know how to fight, bravo' Kara congratulated them. 'But we're not through yet!'

Pulling out what appeared to be a card that had ancient symbols etched over it Kara raised it so that it was level with her forehead.

'No, don't!' Alastor called out when he realised what it was.

'_Adveni_' The moment the word sprung from her lips, a pillar of light burst forth from Kara's chest.

When the light died down, in the place where Kara last stood now contained what appeared to be some kind of wolf creature that was about as tall as the White Knight with purple and black armour and wielding a three bladed axe in one hand.

'What is _that_?' Yulie gasped as she took a step back.

'A _Gigantess_; a beast from the _magic plane_' Alastor quickly explained. 'To put it simply, it's a derived form of a Knight's summoning. The only with these things is that it's a onetime only trick'

Leonard was still trying to get his head around what the Knights were without having to understand what a Gigas was.

Like Alastor said, a Gigantes, or Gigas for short, was from the plane of magic. What basically happened was that, when called, the Pactmaker surrendered his or her body and the beast's power entered their being, fusing both beast and human into one entity. However, unlike the incorruptus, which would revert back after a certain amount of time, the power of the Gigas would continue to drain the Pactmaker's soul until it was consumed entirely literally killing them from within.

Without warning, the Gigas swung its tri-blade axe down at them causing the four to dive to either side to evade it. Pointing the two staffs he had obtained from his earlier attackers in front of him, Alastor created a tornado that formed around the magical beast. Whilst it did little damage, it detained it long enough for Leonard to summon his Knight. Yet despite evening the odds, Leonard only attacked when he saw an opening his friends made as he was unsure how to battle something from an entirely different plane altogether.

'**Is that all?'** The beast taunted them in Kara's voice.

'**Don't count on it' **Leonard replied before evading a sweeping blow from the beast and slugging her in the side of the head with his free hand.

'**Why you!'** she exclaimed as she attempted to swipe at Leonard only to have her weapon batted out of her hand.

More out of pure luck than anything else, a vertical slash from Leonard's sword struck Kara cleanly down the middle striking an ominous looking green eye that appeared to be the Gigas' weak spot. Howling in pain before disappearing in a cloud of pink blossoms, Kara collapsed to the ground extremely weakened.

'Curse you' She managed to utter before succumbing to the overpowering tiredness she felt.

_**~#~#~#~**_

'Is she going to be okay?' Yulie asked worriedly.

'We were fortunate enough that she changed back before the pact could completely take hold' Alastor replied as he finished the healing spell he had been casting over Kara's body. 'Another minute or so and it would have been too late'

The group had taken the unconscious form of Kara to the nearest inn they could find before Alastor and Eldore began undoing the damage the pact with the Gigas had done to her. After a painstaking fifteen minutes, the two Spellcasters had just finished removing the last trace of the Gigas from the dancer.

'For now, all we can do is wait' Eldore concluded. 'If we're lucky, she can shed some light on the Magi's plans'

'Or at least tell us what they want with Cisna' Leonard added.

The group fell silent for a minute until Yulie voiced something that had been bothering her and Leonard since they had seen Kara transform into the Gigas.

'What is this magic plane you spoke of?' She asked of the two Spellcasters unsure which one to direct it to.

'It's rather hard to put it into words that you will understand' Eldore began before Alastor cut over him.

'It's where our Mana is originally siphoned from' He explained as he opened one of the phials containing a mana replenishing potion and downing the contents. 'It exists all around us yet is only visible on a different plane; hence magic plane'

'And those Gigas roam about there freely ?' Yulie asked curiously only to receive a shrug pointing out that not even he knew.

'You mentioned earlier that the Gigas were similar to the Knights?' Leonard asked slowly.

'It was either the inspiration for the Knights or a derived form of summoning sometime after them. But at least we now know they have at several powerful Spellcasters' Alastor elaborated. 'To create a _Rosetta Seal_, those cards that allow people to summon them, takes a great deal of time, energy and mana'

'The pyredaemos in Balandor did not tell you sooner?' Eldore questioned.

'Any full-fledged Spellcaster, after learning the basics of summoning, could probably do that although it's assuming someone _still_ had the knowledge in the first place' Alastor admitted. 'Either way, we're going to be facing more than the usual monsters from now on'

'You sure know how to demoralise adventurers' Yulie said sarcastically.

Alastor just shrugged off the investigative gaze Yulie was casting his way. 'My master taught me that knowing what you're up against is half the battle; how you get through it, is the other half'

Anymore conversation was halted as the sound of Kara stirring reached their ears.

'Hey there' Leonard greeted her once Kara was awake enough to gaze at her surroundings and find herself in the presence of those she tried to kill.

'You people?' she exclaimed sounding both confused and angry at the same time as she sat up as if she had just woken up to find several strangers in her own room.

'What happened?' She asked as she tried to remember what had happened after activating the Rosetta card. Apparently, once activated, the Pactmaker's consciousness quickly slips away.

'The Gigas had almost completely taken over' Eldore explained for her not surprised that she could not recall the battle. 'It was eating into your soul, bit by bit. Eventually, it would have consumed you completely'

After a pregnant pause, Kara looked down at the blanket covering her lap as it all came back to her. The feeling of being confined in a coffin yet at the same time stranded in an endless plane of nothingness.

'Thank you' She whispered knowing that it was thanks to them that she was now freed from the pact she made with the beast.

'Why did you attack us?' Leonard inquired.

'Our town was invaded by a vile group all clad in _black armour_' Kara explained. 'Don Phibianacci normally upholds the peace here, but they paid him off, and did what they wanted'

'And told you to assassinate us, or at least Leonard' Alastor finished off for her. 'And you said yes, because why?'

'They took my sister Lena hostage. They threatened to kill her if I didn't do what they said'

'Why doesn't that surprise me?' Yulie asked no one in particular.

'They really are as black hearted as their armour' Eldore noted.

Going by what Kara just said, the Magi took Lena hostage and gave her the Rosetta Seal once she agreed for her little sister's sake. They neglected to tell her that using it would mean dying anyway hence whether Kara succeeded or not she would have perished also. Or it would have anyway.

'That's terrible' Leonard mumbled before continuing with the questioning. 'Do you know where there ship was headed? Anything you can tell us will help'

'I saw it!'

Both Leonard and Yulie jumped when the voice of the middle aged woman behind them spoke up.

'Really? You're sure?' Leonard asked sounding a bit doubtful. Apparently the woman heard it and immediately gave him a telling off.

'Of course! What do you take me for, you impudent pup?' She snapped at him causing the boy knight to step back in fear whilst Alastor and Yulie shook their heads at his stupidity.

'Alright, I'm sorry!' Leonard quickly apologised. Let it be said, no one can face an angry woman without gaining a taste of fear no matter what they wielded. 'Can you tell us when this was?'

Accepting his apology, the woman explained how she saw the black Monoship soaring towards the ruins that lay south of Albana. It seemed that the groups' suspicions of the ruins holding something of value from the Dogma Age were right. The question now was what was it that lay in them, another Knight's Ark, or a weapon of equal power?

'We have to go after them!' Leonard declared gaining nods of agreement from the others before Kara interrupted them.

'Please, take me with you!' She asked or rather pleaded with them. 'I didn't do what they told me to do. My sister, they will kill her!'

'Unless you kill us en route and offer our heads at the ruins' Alastor commented this time getting a nod from Yulie instead of the usual glare when he pointed out something negative.

'No, I swear I won't! Please, believe me!' Kara actually did sound like she was begging this time. 'If you are going after the Magi, this might be my only chance to save her!'

'Or, like Alastor said, another chance to kill us' Eldore put in not trusting the girl any more than Alastor did.

'She'll die! You must take me with you. I beg you!' She was now close to tears. If she really did want to kill them, then she was a very good actor.

'I believe you' Leonard told her gently apparently thinking along the same lines regardless of what the others thought.

Eldore looked from Leonard to Kara, who was smiling weakly in thanks, and back again before giving up on the matter.

'As you wish' He grumbled.

_**~#~#~#~**_

'You sure we can trust her?' Alastor asked Leonard as they waited outside the inn for Kara as she changed into something more suitable for traversing the desert. 'She tried to kill us, and now you want her to tag along so she can help save her sister?'

'What would you do if you were in her position?' Leonard countered. 'All she wanted was to save her sister'

'What makes you think they'll release her sister after she kills us?' Alastor threw back. 'Heck, how do we even know if she even _has_ a sister?'

Alastor had a rather valid point. Not much was really known about the Magi other than the fact that they were after artefacts from the Dogma War and that they needed the Princess to further accomplish their goals. It was the same with Kara except even less was known. How does one accept someone who tried to kill you during the first meeting?

'She was telling the truth' Yulie put in backing up Leonard.

For as long as she could remember, Yulie had always paid close attention to her surroundings both in battle and in general; with a few exceptions naturally. By reading the person's body language and emotions playing over their face, Yulie could almost accurately tell when someone was lying when words alone could not count. That said, to her, Leonard was an open book making him that easy to tease.

'Can't we at least give her a chance?' Leonard asked after a few tense minutes.

Alastor grumbled something about idiotic knights in training and chivalry before agreeing to go along with it.

'Fine, but that doesn't mean I trust her' He grunted. 'There's something not right about her, just like someone else I know'

He glanced at Eldore when he added that last part. The elder Spellcaster had still to answer his earlier question during their brief pause before the fight against Ahwahnee and he was not going to make him forget about it.

'Sorry for keeping you waiting' Kara said as she came out of the inn now garbed in a dark leather get up with high heeled boots and a rapier hanging off her waist. The fact that she was wearing dark clothing was proof that she was Albanian and used to the temperature.

'How can you stand the heat?' Leonard asked exasperatedly. He was standing in the shade and was still feeling like he was sitting in a baker's oven.

'She's a native, and must know the lay of the land' Eldore said adding that last bit as if to say "you'll be leading us from here on out".

'Then let's get going' Leonard declared as he marched off in the direction of the main gate before turning round and walking in the opposite direction when Kara pointed out that the south gate was closer to the ruins and in the other direction.

'He truly is all looks and no smarts' She mused aloud as the rest of them followed Leonard.

'He's not stupid, Leonard just tends to focus on the main objective and forget everything else' Yulie defended.

'Which happens to be another girl in this case?' Kara asked curiously seeing no other reason as to why someone could be so driven yet oblivious to all else.

Yulie nodded glumly in reply. Kara made a small noise of understanding as she realised that the lavender haired girl beside apparently had feelings for Leonard as well yet she was being ignored in favour of someone else.

'Maybe you should-'

'Alastor's already suggested that to me when he found out' Yulie interrupted the blonde's suggestion having accurately predicted what she was about to say. 'I am trying to get over it, but it's hard when he keeps preaching on about saving the Princess'

'Perhaps if you focused on someone else, you could get over him quicker' Kara suggested.

Yulie snorted. She knew that her vibrant and outgoing personality made her stick out among all of the other girl's around and above her age, making it hard for any guy to try and woo her. Those that bravely attempted to do so discovered that trying to tame her required an almost bottomless spring of courage and a protective plate around their privates.

'I'm sure you'll find the right man eventually' Kara said somehow understanding her companion's reaction to her suggestion.

As the group came closer to the south gate, Kara abruptly called out for them to halt as she suddenly remembered something.

'We can't get through the south gate without a pass' she explained to them.

'Then we'll go get one' Leonard said as if it was obvious.

'To get one, we will need to talk to the don' Kara told him.

'Why the don?' Yulie asked curiously.

'Nobody around here so much as breathes without his saying-so' Kara replied. 'Even those men in black armour had to have one to get passed'

'So he's the big cheese around these parts, huh?' Yulie asked.

'Put it this way, there's not a single pie in Albana that Phibianacci's finger is not in' Alastor said. 'You don't play by his rules you'll wind up banned from Albana before you could inhale the breath to protest'

'Couldn't you use a sleep spell or some sort of mind control trick on the gate watchers to let us pass?' Leonard asked of him sounding hopeful.

'Did you hear what I just said?' Alastor retorted. 'Besides, the last of the Weavers were wiped out over a hundred years ago'

'It sounds as though we'll have to speak with him regardless' Eldore concluded.

'Then that's what we'll do' Leonard proclaimed seeing as there was no other way around it. 'Come on'

'This should be interesting' Eldore mused as the group retraced their steps towards the don's palace.

'We just have to see this Don Phibianacci and ask for a pass, no problem' Yulie said trying to sound optimistic. She did not realise how wrong she was.

_**~#~#~#~**_

'Yeah? What ya want?' One of the two toads standing guard outside the don's residence asked the group as they approached.

'This here is Boss Phibianacci's mansion' The other one declared proudly. 'Boss Phibianacci is sick, and he ain't seeing no one. So buzz off!'

'Hoho, what? Can't leave without seeing him?' The first one asked before anyone could get a word in. 'In dire straits, are we? Well, there's nothing we can do about it, is there?'

It was as if the two toads had the previous speech all written out and had practiced it off every unfortunate person who came along before them. After really looking at the group and seeing that they were not the usual run of the mill people, something inside seemed to click as the two amphibians turned their backs on them and started mumbling to one another.

'Give us a sec, alright?' One of them said before they both stepped away from the group and conversed in hushed voices about something.

'What are they doing?' Leonard asked as they waited for the toads to finish their discussion.

'We're about to find out' Eldore answered as the two toads returned.

'Sorry to keep you waiting' One of them said before explaining the situation to them. 'Now there is a way to cure the Boss of that which ails him, and you lot can help'

'We reckon that when Boss Phibianacci is feeling all perky again, he might be willing to welcome you into his home' The other one finished.

'And just what would we have to do?' Alastor asked suspiciously not liking where the conversation was going.

'Well you see, the Boss is suffering under the pangs of—well, you know..._"love"_. He's love-struck he is'

The reactions gained from the toad's words were mixed. Both Eldore and Kara's eyebrows shot into their hairline; Alastor was looking at the toad as if to say "you've got to be kidding"; Leonard was completely gobsmacked whilst Yulie seemed to be trying hard not to giggle which was an accomplishment by itself.

'W-what are we supposed to do about it?' Leonard asked unsure about how they could help a love-struck toad.

'We need you lot to scamper on up to the oasis in the north, find the famous beauty, a bird called _Verruca_, and give her this letter' The other explained as he handed Leonard an envelope.

'See she gets it now' The first one demanded. 'If the boss stays sick, none of us'll ever get any business done'

'Hold on a second!' Yulie suddenly spoke up finally overcoming her fit of giggles. 'Why can't you guys just do it yourselves?'

The two toads just nodded their heads as if suddenly realising it for themselves before glancing at each other.

'Yeah, you've got a point luv' One of them agreed. 'But who'd want a part in this stupid—'

***THONK!***

'-That is, well, you know, we're not exactly good at desert travel. Not like experienced travellers like yerselves' The other one quickly cut over as he interrupted his friend who was now sprawled on the sand dazed from the sucker punch. 'Best of luck then'

The toad then quickly grabbed his friend and dragged him away before any of the others could say anything.

'_Love-struck _? You believe that?' Yulie asked trying hard not to giggle again.

'More importantly: do we have to do _this?_' Alastor inquired sounding agitated about becoming someone's messenger boy.

'Phibianacci has total control of this town. If he says jump, we say "how high?"' Kara said as if answering his question.

'And I say "_you first_ off a _high cliff_"' Alastor grumbled.

'Like it or not, Magician-boy, we're gonna have to do it' Yulie mock consoled him her face full of suppressed mirth.

'Doesn't mean I have to like it' He countered as they began trekking back to the eastern gate.

Leonard silently agreed with the Spellcaster. He wanted to fight monsters and enemy soldiers, find and rescue Cisna and maybe get to know her better. Instead, he was forced to be someone's errand boy and deliver some letter to this girl by the name of Verruca who lived out in the desert which was fast becoming his least favourite place.

'I am reeeally starting to hate deserts' He complained as the mid-day sun beat down harshly upon him.

'No arguments there' Yulie agreed.

'Enough complaining' Eldore said finally having enough of their whining about the heat. 'Phibianacci is a powerful merchant who rules the arms trade on this continent. And word has it, he owns technology that allows him to fuse weapons and make them even more devastating'

'So basically: we get on his good side, he'll see us as some valuable customer. Is that what you're saying?' Alastor asked having heard the rumour himself but not believing it.

'I'm saying that he'll be a powerful ally, provided we manage to get him on our side' Eldore explained.

'Impressive' Kara commented clearly amazed by the amount of knowledge the old man had.

'I get out of the house a lot' Eldore replied humbly.

'When's the last time you've _been _home?' Alastor snorted as he stomped on ahead.

It was not just the heat that was getting on Alastor's nerves. Not only was he suspicious about Eldore and now Kara, but he could not shake the feeling that he was nothing more than a chess piece in some elaborate game of chess and it did not feel right to him. Back when he was with the army, he knew what was happening and what he had to do. Now however, it felt like he was blindly walking through a tunnel towards the enemy unaware of what they were putting in his way let alone whatever else was in his path.

'Hey!' said a voice that could only belong to the lavender haired archer. 'Hey, hold on, Speedy!'

'Move your legs faster, _Shorty_!' He called back. Several seconds later, the girl in question collided with the Spellcaster's back causing him to stumble forward several paces in order to keep his balance. '_Who_ were you asking to slow down again?'

Yulie ignored the question as she fell in step with the Spellcaster beside her before asking a question of her own. 'What are these Weavers you mentioned earlier?'

'Spellcasters who specialised in the forgotten lore of illusions and other tricks of the mind' Alastor explained.

'Forgotten lore? You mean there's more than just spirit and divine' Yulie asked curiously.

Alastor shook his head at the youth's question before explaining about how magic users were not called Spellcasters but different names altogether depending on their speciality. If they were skilled in spirit they were dubbed Spiritchanneler whilst using healing magic granted you the title Healer.

Until over a century ago, Weavers were Spellcasters that were able to create illusions so real it could fool the mind. Not only that, a skilled Weaver could manipulate someone to their will whilst the victim could be thinking he is doing something else entirely. It was this ability that made them feared and eventually, both cult and lore faded into the pages of history.

'So, does that mean no one can use that stuff again?' Yulie asked after Alastor finished explaining.

'Well, you could learn it if you found a tome containing how to and all that' Alastor admitted. 'Trouble is, I think all books containing that knowledge went up in smoke not long before their demise'

Yulie nodded her head in understanding. Until Alastor came along, she had been trying to find a book on healing spells to help increase her knowledge of the art with no results.

'Hey, wait up!' Leonard called as he caught up with them. 'What're you guys talking about?'

'Different types of lore' Yulie answered for him.

'You're not talking about what this Veruca looks like?'

'Don't remind me about what we're having to do' Alastor snapped causing him to step back.

'I know how you feel' He consoled the Spellcaster before sighing wistfully. 'If only we had our own airship. We could have saved Cisna by now'

'Shut up and walk, Leonard' Yulie suddenly butted in before the Pactmaker of the White Knight said any more about the maiden they were supposed to be rescuing.

_**~#~#~#~**_

After another half hour of traversing desert and fending off monsters. The group finally arrived at the oasis.

'We went all that way, just to get down _here_?' Alastor asked sounding exasperated when he noticed that the eastern gate of Albana was a good ways _above_ them.

'Frustrating, isn't it?' Kara asked having travelled here before.

'That's putting it mildly' Came the grumbled reply.

Yulie and Leonard meanwhile, were looking around the edge of the oasis trying to find Veruca who seemed to be nowhere in sight. Just as Leonard was considering giving this up as some wild goose chase the toads lead them on, a sudden tremor occurred followed by something emerging from the depths of the oasis cascading the travellers in water.

When they looked back at the oasis, what appeared to be a large pink toad was looking at them expectantly as if knowing they had something for it.

'I think this is Verruca' Eldore surmised.

'What?' Leonard gasped. He had been expecting a beautiful woman. Then again, if Phibianacci was a toad it was only right that he would be smitten with another of his kind.

Seeing as her friend was unable to move, Yulie gave him a small shove in the direction of the pink toad. Handing out the letter, Leonard jumped back as a tongue as thick as he was wide shot out and snatched the letter away from him before he could blink. Quickly returning to his friends, they watched as Verruca read the letter before suddenly jumping about in joy.

'Well, it would seem the love is reciprocated' Eldore noted.

'You think?' Leonard stammered still trying to get over what he was seeing.

All of a sudden, Verruca turned around and executed a perfect dive as she dove underwater. No sooner had she dove in she reappeared again, this time with a letter of her own, literally, on the tip of her tongue. It did not take a genius to realise that she wanted it delivered to Phibianacci. Having finished the trade, Verruca sank beneath the surface once again waving a thank you to the travellers.

'Well...okay. Maybe this is our ticket to see the don' Leonard said trying to be optimistic about things.

'Then let's go find out' Eldore suggested.

Yulie, who had been giggling quietly at the sweetness of the romance between two toads, snapped her head towards Eldore when she realised what that meant. 'You mean we have to go all the way back round again?'

'Unless our Spellcasters can get us back to Albana quicker' Kara suggested looking expectantly at the two Spellcasters in question.

Alastor huffed before drawing out the two staffs he had pilfered from their holsters as he walked towards the cliff face. Normally he would prefer not showing off, but his patience was wearing thin from all the pointless running about. Holding them out in front of him then sweeping them to either side, a spell circle appeared beneath his feet before expanding until it was ten feet in diameter.

'Now _this _is remarkable!' Eldore exclaimed as he and the others stepped on to the circle and watched as they began to rise.

Leonard and Yulie looked round in obvious amazement as the oasis shrank before them whilst Kara cast a wary eye at Alastor as if thinking to herself that she had to watch her step around him for some reason.

'I thought only the Dark Magician could do this' Leonard exclaimed as they landed on the ridge that a minute earlier had been fifty feet above them.

'And now I know why' Alastor gasped as he sank to one knee after cancelling the spell. 'Arcana lore is too taxing on any Spellcaster without the right amplifier'

Arcana lore, supposedly the first tree of magic which all other magic arts branched from, was a lore that used magic in its rawest and purest form. Used properly, it could be used for offense, defence and even support purposes such as the spell Alastor had just used. Nowadays, it was the rarest of used magicks and had only truly been used by the Dark Magician of the Chaos Legion during the war between Balandor and Faria.

'Maybe, if you had your _original_ staff, it wouldn't be too taxing' Yulie advised as she helped Alastor back to his feet.

'You still think_ I'm_ the Dark Magician?' He asked shrewdly as he got up. Asides from his knees shaking he was starting to feel better.

'You did just levitate _five people_ fifty feet upwards' Leonard pointed out.

'For all you know, I could've been taught the basics of how to levitate from the guy himself and left to figure out the rest myself, which I did' Alastor countered. 'Now let's get this letter delivered, grab that pass and get the heck moving!'

The three youths agreed to his suggestion and began walking towards the entrance to Albana whereas Eldore continued to stare at Alastor with a calculating look in his eye as if seeing right through him.

'It seems I'm not the only one with a suspicious past' He said after a moment.

'I have no idea what you are talking about, old timer' Said Alastor before he turned his back on the elder Spellcaster and walked after the three youths.

'Old timer indeed!' Eldore scoffed as he followed.

When the travellers reached Phibianacci's palace, the two toads they had met earlier hopped over to them clearly surprised that they had returned so quickly.

'Did yah deliver the letter to Verruca, then?' One of them asked.

Leonard replied by handing over the letter Verruca gave them.

'Ooh, very nice. Suppose we owe yah' The other one said before sounding slightly worried for some strange reason. 'Except things have er, well, changed a bit while you were gone'

'Y'see, Mrs Phibianacci, the Boss' missus, she found out about the letter, right? And now the _you-know-what's_ hit the fan! It's like a bleedin warzone in there!' The first one explained to them.

'_Brilliant_' Alastor muttered sarcastically.

'Well, that's what he gets for going behind her back I suppose' Yulie reasoned.

'Yeah, but now we're gonna have to wait even longer to get that pass' Leonard whined. 'And by that time, they'll have probably gotten away with Cisna again'

'Hang on, I got it!' The second toad exclaimed all of a sudden. 'Maybe this lot could find some way to calm the missus down for us'

'It's worth a shot, I reckon' The first agreed after thinking it through.

'First errand boy, now negotiator? You _must_ be kidding' Alastor muttered between clenched teeth. He was a Spellcaster of above average calibre not some simpleton.

'If it'll get us the pass quicker, we'll do it' Leonard said firmly. It seemed he had accepted that, in order to save Cisna, he had to do more than just the brave stuff fairy tales held about heroic knights and damsels in distress.

'Go on in then' The first urged them.

Upon entering the residence which appeared to be one large chamber where Don Phibianacci was located, Leonard could not help but stop and stare at the man, or rather toad, before him.

Easily as big as Verruca and clad in fine jewellery and a massive turban was a purple toad sitting on an equally large silk cushion. Right now, the toad was cowering before a green toad that was barely four feet tall and clad in a pink robe and matching turban and slippers.

'You don't understand, Anura, my sweet! My precious!' Phibianacci tried to explain to his wife. 'A man needs to have a dream sometimes. It makes life worth living. But I still love you best!'

Instead of placating Anura, it seemed to just make things worse as the Missus just went into another tirade in toad speech making it impossible to understand for the travellers. All they knew was that it was bad seeing how the Don suddenly shrank back in fear again as she continued.

'Well, Leonard? Got any ideas as to how to diffuse the confrontation?' Alastor inquired although how he managed to ask without sounding agitated was anyone's guess. Upon seeing the stunned look upon the knight-boy's face, Alastor grumbled as he realised he had to do it himself.

'What I'm about to do _does not_ leave this chamber, understood?' He whispered furiously to the group before walking towards the _happy_ couple, slapping Leonard's gapping mouth shut in passing.

Once within ten feet of them, Alastor launched a wind spell at one of the shields hanging off the wall making a satisfying gong echo around the whole chamber. Within seconds, the bickering had ceased and all eyes were on him.

'Heaven help me for what I must do' He muttered before donning the expression of a humble servant and going down on one knee. 'Don Phibianacci, I bring you a message from my mistress Veruca, the Lady of the Oasis'

Almost immediately, Yulie had to clamp her hands over her mouth in order to stop herself from laughing out loud. Eldore seemed to pick up on where this was going and silently applauded the lad for what he was about to go through as did Kara. Leonard on the other hand was both confused at what was going on yet at the same time trying not to chuckle himself.

Looking pointedly at one of the two toads that were also witnessing the spectacle, Alastor raised his eyebrows expectantly. Apparently one of them cottoned on as he hopped over to where the Spellcaster was kneeling and pretended to direct him out.

'Listen you, the Boss has already told your mistress that he can't accept her proposal no matter how keen she is on him' He told Alastor loudly so that Anura would hear him. 'So scram!'

'Open your ears you measly servant of the Don, I said I come with message from my mistress' Alastor retorted. As actors went, he could have been very popular had he chose to become one.

'Alright, let's see your message' The toad demanded leaning in and pretending to take something from Alastor as the Spellcaster whispered what to say. Nodding in understanding, the toad cleared his throat before speaking out loud again.

_My dearest Phibianacci,__  
I have read your letter a thousand times, and each time has broken my heart into tinier and tinier pieces. I understand now that your heart is given to one woman and one woman only—your wife, Anura. Oh, how I envy her. My tears just won't stop flowing. The oasis has become quite deep, just like after a rain storm. -_Uh- _farewell forever, my sweet, sweet Phibianacci._

The reactions amongst the travellers were varied. Eldore and Kara were impressed by the performance; Leonard was just hoping that it worked; Yulie, whilst impressed with the performance like Eldore and Kara, was still trying hard not to laugh at seeing Alastor being so humble and the Spellcaster in question was silently grumbling about the toad not going along with what he told him.

'Well, there you have it!' The other toad said finally catching on to what was happening and turning pointedly to the Don. 'So boss, you only ever had eyes for Mrs Phibianacci after all, huh? That's what I call devotion!'

The Don nodded his head so hard in agreement that it would not have been surprising if it suddenly snapped off. Anura walked over to where Alastor was still kneeling and glared at him as if mentally telling him to tell his _mistress_ that the next time they met it would not be pretty. Whilst still holding the humble appearance, Alastor mentally told Anura to get out of his face before she found herself served for dinner.

Turning her back on Alastor, Anura made her way towards one of the chambers leading elsewhere in the mansion but not without having the last word.

'_RRRRRRRRRRRRRR__RIBBIT_!' She yelled at Phibianacci who reeled back as if receiving a physical blow from his miniscule Missus.

Once Anura's footsteps could no longer be heard, all of the toads breathed a sigh of relief.

'Cor, that was close!' One of the smaller toads sighed.

'Your quick thinking certainly saved the day...and possibly my life' Phibianacci agreed certain that several years had just been shaved off his life.

'Yeah, good job, mate' The other toad agreed.

'Nah, don't thank me, thank them lot' The first one said as he gestured to the travellers.

As if taking his cue, Leonard stepped forward holding out the real letter from Verruca.

'Ohh, indeed I should! From what I am told, you are the ones who delivered my letter to Verruca' Phibianacci said sounding giddy at the prospect of finding out what the toad of his dreams had written. 'Well? What did she say, my good friends?'

Before the Don could reach down to take the letter Leonard was offering, one of his amphibian lackeys suddenly came between them and snatched the letter out of Leonard's hand.

'Here boss, let me read it' He proclaimed as he unfolded the piece of parchment within the envelope and read aloud;

_Dear Phibianacci.__  
Thank you for your letter. While I am very flattered, I could never leave the oasis to live near you. Because I cannot live very long outside the water, you see. I'm afraid our love is destined to remain unconsummated._

_Farewell, gentle don._

If there was ever a time to say fate had a cruel sense of humour, now would be it. After all the hard work the travellers had done, it was all for naught. Whilst they were stunned by the contents though, Don Phibianacci was truly heartbroken.

'No, you lie! It simply cannot be!' He bawled as tears sprouted from his eyes like waterfalls. There was going to be a new oasis before the don recovered from his trauma.

'If he does not stop bawling within the next minute, I'll make him stop' Alastor hissed as he rejoined his companions, his patience at its limits.

He had barely finished saying that before the Don seemed to snap out of it and come to his senses. After profusely apologising for such an embarrassing display as well as thanking them for both delivering his letter and saving him from a fate worse than death, Phibianacci asked if there was anything he could do to repay them for their service.

'How about a pass for the south gate? We want to go to the ruins' Leonard immediately replied a feeling of excitement building within him over knowing that they were back on track.

'Nothing could be easier, my short-tongued lad' Phibianacci chortled. 'However, that is hardly enough to discharge my obligation to you. Hmm...What else can I give you?'

Almost instantly, the answer came to him.

'Ohh! Yes! I have just the thing!' He exclaimed. 'My gut tells me you have a long road ahead of you. No doubt you carry weapons with which to fend off the monsters of the wild'

'Is he about to suggest what I think he is?' Leonard muttered to Eldore.

'Hush' Eldore replied curious as to what Phibianacci was talking about himself.

'Give to me two weapons of your choosing, and I can bind them together to create a new, more powerful weapon for you' Phibianacci proclaimed. 'This I will do whenever you wish'

There was a catch to this however. Because Phibianacci's tribe specialised in the weapons department of merchandising, a small fee was required for each bind. He did promise to keep the fee reasonable and even created a new staff out of the two that Alastor had in token of thanks. It appeased the Spellcaster's temper so he was not complaining.

Eventually the travellers left the don's residence and began making their way towards the south gate again. This time with the required pass.

'That Phibianacci, he's quite the character' Yulie remarked having finally managed to calm down after the spectacle back there.

'I suppose so' Kara agreed although she did not seem to care about the subject.

'At least we can bind our weapons now' Eldore pointed out. 'For now, we need to move. We've wasted enough time as it is'

The rest of the group agreed and began making their way towards the south gate.

When they passed through the gate, it seemed that a sand storm had stirred up and the travellers could barely see fifty paces ahead of them.

'Across the desert again' Leonard muttered having become fed up with all the travelling through the dunes already.

'What's wrong? Don't want to save the princess?' Eldore teased. He had been wondering when the youth's apparently endless enthusiasm would run out and it looked as if the desert was finally cutting through it.

'Well, yeah. But...' Leonard tried to explain but could not find the proper words.

'Blech! Sand in the mouth!' Yulie exclaimed suddenly as she caught a mouthful of the granules that were being thrown about in the wind.

'Well maybe if you kept your mouth shut, it wouldn't get in' Alastor pointed out as he tried to peer through the wall of sand. 'At least this storm will mask our presence'

'True' Eldore agreed. 'But now it's going to be harder to find the ruins'

'Perhaps, if you had left me behind that is' Kara said as she began walking off towards the ruins followed closely by the others.

It took a while, but after an hour of walking and fighting off the desert scorpions that had unearthed themselves to pry on whatever hapless traveller that crossed its path, the group were within sight of the edge of the ruins.

Unfortunately, as they got closer, it seemed like the Magi had dug in for their arrival. On the other side of the dune the travellers were peering over, several men in black armour could be seen guarding the entrance to a valley that led to the entrance of the ruins.

'Should've known it couldn't continue to go this smoothly' Eldore cursed as he stared at the four guards that were standing about aimlessly.

'There are only four of them, we can take them easily' Leonard said getting impatient again.

'By the time we reach them, they will have called for reinforcements' Kara pointed out.

'Then we'll just have to take them out as well' The boy-knight reasoned.

'We can't waste strength on pointless battles' Eldore scolded him. 'Not when we're this close to the enemy stronghold'

Eldore brought up a valuable point. With each skirmish between now and their objective, the group would exhaust themselves which would lead to their defeat within seconds of confronting the Black Knight again.

'Then we'll just have to slip past them' Alastor stated as if it was obvious.

He had been quietly observing the four watchmen whilst the rest of the group had been talking and had managed to deduce a way of getting passed them with little effort involved.

'The one on the far left, right?' Yulie asked. Apparently the girl had been studying the watchmen as well, that or had guessed correctly what Alastor was planning.

'Think you can nail him in these conditions?' Alastor challenged her not at all surprised that she had picked up on what he was planning.

'Just say when' Yulie replied confidently as she readied her bow.

Bringing out his new staff, Alastor told the rest of the group to get ready to run towards the entrance. When the soldier on the far left had walked far enough away, Alastor unleashed a strong wind spell that went skimming across the dunes sending more sand into the air. At the same moment, Yulie released her arrow at the soldier in question hitting him square in the chest and forcing him to topple of the ledge he had been watching from into sands below. With the way clear, the group hurried towards the valley entrance.

Because the soldiers inside the valley were waiting for the signal from the others before readying their weapons, they were quickly cut down by the three sword wielders in the group before they realised it. After that, it was just a quick jog up a flight of stone stairs to the ruins in which the travellers could already see the silhouette of the black monoship vacating the area. Were they too late?

Upon reaching the top of the stairs, it appeared as if they had arrived not long after they had as well. Standing in the middle of the ruins were six Magi soldiers, the round and ever cunning Belcitane and the Princess herself. There was no sign of Dragias however and it was hard to tell if he was waiting in ambush or allowing his aide to have a crack at them himself.

'Cisna!' Leonard called out the moment he saw she was safe. At least for now anyways

Turning her head in the direction of the familiar voice, a real smile actually appeared on the Princess' face when she saw who it was. 'Leonard!'

'On a first name basis now, are we? You're more persistent than I thought. I am impressed' Belcitane said mockingly as he faced the group. 'And look! You picked up a new friend in Albana. Why hello there, Kara'

Kara's eyes were reduced to slits as she glared at the obtuse man who nearly killed her with that _gift_ of his.

'Hmm, it appears that you failed to carry out my orders. Whoopsie'

Either this man truly was insane or Belcitane knew that he had the upper hand. It was the only explanation for being so cheerful despite facing a group that held a weapon not seen in ten millennia.

'Where's my sister?' Kara demanded her right hand moving to the handle of her rapier.

'You'll meet her soon enough. All in good time' Belcitane waved away as if having a meeting with some important friends asking about something spectacular. 'Well, in any case, I'm so glad you're all here. I need help persuading this foolishly stubborn Princess to cooperate'

'I know you have the power to break the seals of the Athwani' Belcitane said to the Princess as if Leonard and the others were invisible. 'You _will_ unlock the ancient relic that is hidden within these ruins'

'Seals of the Athwani?' Alastor muttered in confusion before something seemed to dawn on him. 'Is he referring to the _sealing magic_ that was used against the Knights?'

Eldore remained silent. He alone had been the only other person to witness Leonard put on the Knight's Ark back in Balandor. What none of the others knew was that he had also witnessed the Princess chant in an ancient tongue that clearly helped Leonard gain access to the White Knight. Yet if that was the case, why had he not at least told his travelling companions?

'I told you! I don't know how!' Cisna pleaded with Belcitane truthfully unaware of what she had done.

'Oh I think you do!' Belcitane pressed enjoying the torment the girl was experiencing. 'You knew more than enough to unlock the seal of the White Knight in Balandor. Now do as I say!'

A dark smile flitted across Belcitane's face as he glanced back at Leonard and the group before adding. 'Or your friends here will be the first to suffer the consequences!'

Leonard and Yulie had immediately drawn their weapons at what the mad man had implied yet they stayed their hand as the Princess was still in the enemy's hand. Perhaps that was why both Eldore and Kara remained motionless whilst Alastor had a firm grip on his holstered staff.

'Hmm? Your answer, please' Belcitane asked the Princess once more.

Cisna was starting to panic. She truthfully did not know what the man was on about. Yet she did not want Leonard and his friends to suffer for her either.

'I'm telling the truth! The White Knight, it had nothing to do with me!' She protested.

'What do you take me for? A fool? You're trying my patience' Belcitane snapped as he grabbed the maiden's arm. 'I could snap this arm of yours like a twig!'

'Stop that!' Leonard yelled at the man angrily. 'Let her go right now!'

Unfazed by the youth's demand, Belcitane grinned darkly again.

'I have a better idea' He said as he let go of the Princess' arm and instead grabbed her neck. 'Why don't you give me the Knight's Ark like a good little boy? If you refuse, I assure you it won't be the Princess' arm that gets broken. I'll snap her pretty white neck instead!'

Leonard gritted his teeth in anger and frustration. If he gave them the Ark, they would be helpless yet if he did not Cisna would be killed. And how was he to know Belcitane would not just kill them all after getting the Ark.

'So, _little Leonard_. What say you?' Belcitane jeered knowing full well that the youth would give in and hand over the Ark to save the Princess.

'Sick monsters' Yulie swore barely managing to quell the urge to stick an arrow smack dab through the middle of the clown's face.

'Makes you wonder how much he got for selling his own mother' Alastor agreed having trouble deciding whether to burn him alive or freeze him for all eternity.

Leonard shared their feelings but still lowered his head as he conceded defeat. 'All right...You win'

'Smart lad' Belcitane grinned already tasting victory. 'Now then, put the Ark down on the ground there in front of you'

Complying with the man's order, Leonard summoned then removed the white gauntlet from his left arm and strode towards them. After coming halfway, he lowered the Ark to the ground then walked back to his companions.

Belcitane barely managed to refrain from skipping in excitement as he greedily waddled towards the Ark. But what's this? No sooner had he reached down to grab it, did the Ark suddenly emit a light as blinding as its armoured summon.

Cursing as he stumbled backwards, Belcitane did not see Alastor knock the two soldiers holding the Princess with a couple of weak wind spells nor Kara darting towards the blinded girl and take her towards the rest of her group. Only when Leonard picked up the Ark, did he see what had happened around him.

'Damn you!' He cursed as he stumbled backwards.

'Oh didn't you know? None may touch the Ark except the Pactmaker himself' Eldore lectured mockingly. The tables had turned and now it was the Magi with their backs against the wall.

'Fine, be that way. We'll just have to do this the hard way' Belcitane declared signalling for three of his men to step forward.

As they did so, each pulled out a familiar card from a pouch on their belts.

'They wouldn't...' Kara began not believing that they would give their lives willingly for some ancient cause.

'_Adveni_' The three soldiers chanted as if to prove the girl wrong. Several seconds later, three different coloured Gigas rose to their full height wielding lethal mace-like swords.

'Now, my servants! Destroy these pestiferous fools!' Belcitane ordered. It seemed he was either the one who created the Rosetta Seals or had been taught how to control the Gigas by the creator.

'Verto!' Leonard yelled transforming into the White Knight before charging at the three Gigas and swinging his sword at the red one in the middle.

Unprepared for the attack, the red Gigas brought its weapon up to block the incoming strike only for it to be sent into swinging into the shoulder of the green one on its right. Pressing his advantage, Leonard Shoulder barged the red Gigas before thrusting his sword into the stomach of the green one as it recovered from the earlier blow.

The blue Gigas meanwhile, was trying to smash Alastor who was literally running circles round it whilst casting various spells of different elements trying to find the creature's weak spot. Stopping in one place, Alastor quickly cast two different spells on himself and the Gigas before dropping his staff and catching the Gigas' weapon in his own hands stopping it from moving and perplexing the creature.

'Strength spell, weakening spell. You got a brain, work it out!' Alastor yelled as he threw the weapon forward causing the blue Gigas to front flip onto its back.

Infuriated, the Gigas quickly got back up a raised its weapon up high. Just in time for it to be struck by lightning and collapse again. Satisfied with his handiwork Alastor made his way to where the others were fighting the remaining Gigas.

Pulling his blade free of the Green Gigas, Leonard swung it at the red Gigas again once more deflecting the blow. The red Gigas was sent spinning away from him and face first into the path of two fire spells and a fire arrow from Eldore, Kara and Yulie respectively forcing it down and out of the fight leaving Leonard to deal the finishing blow to the remaining Gigas which fell like a sack of rocks under the next blow it received.

'Not too shabby' Belcitane admitted as he stepped between his fallen servants as if this sort of thing happened all the time. 'However, I still have more cards to play! Arise, men!'

Leonard and the others could not believe their eyes when the three Gigas they had just defeated suddenly rose to their feet again. Was there really more to them than just brute strength?

'Now, it's your turn, my dear' Belcitane said as he turned towards the remaining soldiers who were bringing a struggling girl towards him.

'Lena!' Kara cried out when she realised who it was. There was certainly some resemblance between the two.

'Did you know when Gigantes are fused together, they become even more powerful than before' Belcitane lectured them as he brought out a blood red Rosetta Seal instead of the usual blue one. 'Sadly, to do this, the fusion process requires that a human be sacrificed'

'No, you wouldn't!' Kara screamed but it was too late.

The moment the card touched the petrified girl's skin, a dark flame engulfed her and the three Gigas. When the flames cleared, a three headed Gigas in turquoise armour that resembled a Cerberus roared as it stood menacingly on its four legs.

'**Eldore! What just happened?'**Leonard demanded not knowing the full extent of the recent event.

'The girl's been sacrificed, fused into a pact with the Gigantes!' The sadness in the old man's voice revealing just how shocking it was to even him. 'What sort of _madman..._'

'The one we're about to send to the fiery pits of hell' Alastor growled a fury burning in his eyes.

'Alright' Yulie whispered harshly ignoring the tears in her eyes as she pointed her bow skywards. 'Now. I'm. Mad!'

The arrow was sent into the heavens yet instead of one coming back to Earth, a rough dozen mana arrows came down upon the Gigas. Alastor followed up with the strongest fireball spell he knew, sending it straight into all three faces. Seeing his chance, Leonard charged forward putting everything he had left into the blade he was bringing down upon the stunned beast.

None of them were expecting the Gigas to suddenly charge through the smoke made from the fire spell and collide with Leonard and send him into one of the remaining ruins that were still standing.

Belcitane was almost cackling with glee. 'You'll never wield the Knight's full power. A child like you was foolish to try'

'Leonard!' Cisna called to the unmoving White Knight as she ran towards it.

'This isn't good' Alastor noted as he watched the Gigas stomp closer to them. 'I all but drained my reserves with that last one yet it didn't even stun it'

Despite the ever closing danger, a light blue aura suddenly surrounded Cisna as, once again, the Athwani seal removal chant spilled from her lips. As she continued to chant, the White Knight was consumed in a light blue aura of its own.

_**~#~#~#~**_

Opening his eyes, Leonard found himself, once more, in the place where he had fought Wizel, the phantom creature, for control of the White Knight. The phantom in question was hovering before the youth whilst in between the two some sort of sphere of light hovered.

'_Master, another seal hath been broken for thee' _Wizel said in its hollow voice. _'Its power hath been released. Thou must claim it'_

Before Leonard could ask what power the spectre meant, he found his vision engulfed by the pale blue light once again. Never did he notice the glyph that was shown within the sphere of light.

_**~#~#~#~**_

As the light died down around the White Knight, so too did the ruins it was leaning against crumble revealing a shield of dark blue with gold trim that only an Incorruptus could wield.

'What now?' Belcitane gasped unaware that the tide of battle had once again changed.

Grabbing the shield and equipping it on his left arm, Leonard turned just in time to see the Gigas charge towards him once more.

'**Not this time, Demon!'** Leonard declared this time ready for the assault. Slamming the Gigas away with his shield, Leonard brought his blade down upon the Gigas like he was meant to do earlier cutting it clean in two before both parts exploded into oblivion.

'Nicely done!' Yulie congratulated the youth as he transformed back.

'It appears you are learning how to use the Knight properly' Eldore admitted.

'I have to hand it to you, you did good back there' Alastor conceded.

'You guys did great yourselves' Leonard pointed out clearly not used to receiving all the credit.

As the Princess smiled at what her hero now had to face, she did not realise that she was now alone. Only once Belcitane had grabbed her did she realise she was still in peril and called out to Leonard but by then, it was too late.

Leonard and his friends may have won the battle, but Belcitane had made sure that the Magi could still win the war.

_**~#~#~#~**_

_Review if possible & 'til next time_

_Watch this space & peace out!_


	4. Quests & Secrets

_Disclaimers on chapter 1_

_**~#~#~#~**_

It took less than thirty minutes to make the small pile of rocks and sand that was made in place of a proper grave for Kara's sister. After a brief minute of silence to say farewell to the departed, Leonard walked away from the grave towards the entrance to the ruins.

'We had her!' He growled punching the remains of the stone archway that had once probably been the main entrance to whatever these particular ruins had been part of many years ago.

He was angry mostly at himself for letting victory get to his head when there were still enemies about. It was because of this blunder that the Magi were able to make off with the Princess right from under their noses again.

The others seemed to feel that way as well. Alastor's frown had a hard edge to it showing he was angry at himself for making a novice mistake. Yulie appeared to be more upset about letting both her best friend and Kara down. Eldore, having known that there would be casualties, was more shocked that it was an innocent child that had passed away than anything else.

'I'm sorry' Kara said quietly believing it was her fault for what had happened, both to her sister and the Princess. 'I turned away for just a second...'

Eldore frowned slightly. He was sure Kara had been standing right beside the Princess before she was taken away yet she was nowhere near when the Princess cried out for help. Clearly there was something Kara was not telling them, something that at least Alastor had picked up about her too judging by the argument he had with Leonard in Albana earlier about her.

'We'll have other chances, lad' He consoled Leonard. There were still three more Knights out there to find and possibly more ruins that may contain ancient weaponry so the Princess was in no immediate danger of being killed, yet.

'Yeah, you're right' Leonard said seeming to come to terms with what had just transpired and looked towards Kara who was staring at a spot at her feet. 'But Kara...your sister...'

'She was all the family that I had' She whispered not looking up. 'I was a fool to enter that pact with the Gigas'

'She was important to you, so you did what you thought would save her regardless of what might happen to you' Yulie consoled her. 'He probably didn't tell you what would happen when you entered the pact in hopes that you would die, allowing him to do whatever he pleased with her'

'I thought I was the pessimistic one' Alastor noted quietly. Yulie still heard him and threw a glare his way.

'Kara' Leonard began as an idea sprung to mind. 'Would you like to come with us?'

Kara quickly turned to face Leonard certain that she was hearing things. The others stared questioningly at Leonard who had jumped down the stone steps to where Kara was standing.

'We have to get Cisna back somehow' He said offering his hand to her. 'I know we can count on you'

'You are sure?' Kara asked unsure if Leonard was speaking the truth or not as she stared at his outstretched hand. When it became apparent that Leonard was not fooling about, Kara clasped his hand in her own accepting the invite.

Leonard grinned before turning to Eldore and asking if he had any objections.

'Do what you like' He replied knowing that there was no way to change the youth's mind once it was made up.

'Let's go then' Leonard said to them all sounding more like his usual self now. 'They're getting farther away every second'

At that moment, Foz, the blue feathered Bigelow, suddenly swooped down as if waiting for the right moment to reveal itself and perched on Eldore's outstretched arm and relayed what its mate had passed on.

'They're heading for the Bunker Lode Caverns, a mining operation in the Flander Mountains' He told the group after listening to the twittering of his familiar and sending it skywards once more.

'What caverns? Where?' Yulie asked curiously.

'The Flanders form the rim of what resembles a giant cauldron and the inside walls are dotted with a number of caves, collectively known as the Bunker Lode Caverns' Eldore explained. 'The mines are rich in ore, a treasure trove of precious minerals'

'Not just minerals, either. Ancient ruins were found there, too' Kara put in. 'I bet that is where they are headed'

'Yeah. They want whatever's hidden there' Leonard agreed seeing where this conversation was going. 'And they'll use Cisna to get it'

'But...I don't get why they need the Princess' Yulie said sounding confused as to why she was taken if not for ransom.

'From what that mad clown said, it's possible the Princess might be a descendant of the Athwani possibly one of their most powerful Spellcasters that had cast the very sealing magic against the Knights ten millennia ago' Alastor speculated looking back on what he had heard Belcitane say to the Princess. 'Might explain how Leonard succeeded where others failed in obtaining the Ark: she unlocked it for him in a similar way to what happened earlier'

'Sounds a bit farfetched' Kara commented.

'It may be farfetched but it's not impossible' Alastor pointed out. 'To Spellcasters, it's what we call _Magical Inheritance_. Its how some people are more adept at casting, say for example, fire spells than others. Sometimes even an entire Lore can be passed on'

'And you think she has it' Yulie concluded.

'That madman believed as much' Eldore said agreeing with Alastor's speculation. 'The Bunker Lode Caverns lie to the south, as does the Princess'

'Then south is where we'll go' Leonard declared before walking off in said direction.

As the rest of the group followed him, Alastor lingered back staring in the direction of the Flanders. Or rather, what was in the cauldron that he was returning to and who he was going to inevitably meet. It was not a pleasant thought for him.

_**~#~#~#~**_

'We were so close too!' Yulie whined as the group made their way south and then southwest towards the base of the Flander trail, a steep narrow pathway that led all the way to the summit and down the other side of the cauldron.

'At least we still got something out of it' Leonard pointed out optimistically referring to the argent shield he could wield as the White Knight.

'Maybe for you, but...' Yulie stopped what she was saying and glanced over at Kara who was walking just ahead of her and Leonard.

'Don't let my presence stop you from talking' Kara said to her making the archer jump slightly.

'Like that would ever happen' Alastor muttered just loud enough for Yulie to hear him.

Yulie made to turn round to snap at him but ended up walking into Leonard who had all of a sudden stopped for reasons only he knew. The others had also stopped and were looking around cautiously.

'What's going on?' She asked as she subconsciously drew her bow.

'I thought it was obvious, seeing as you've drawn your weapon' Kara noted drawing her own rapier as she looked about. 'Something's watching us, and waiting for the right moment to pounce'

'But, there's no one here except us' Yulie pointed out despite instincts telling her otherwise as she glanced about the narrow canyon they were in.

'Which means whatever's watching us is too big to fit in where we are now' Eldore said nodding towards where the canyon walls opened out into a wide plain that lead to the base of the Flanders.

'So all we need to do is send someone out to lure it into the open then let Leonard finish it off?' Kara asked before smirking. 'That someone has to be either pretty brave or pretty foolish. Or perhaps _both _just to be safe'

'You're nominated then, Magician-boy' Yulie declared shoving an unsuspecting Alastor closer to the mouth of the canyon.

'Hey, what do you mean I'm "nominated", why me?' He asked sounding more angry about what Yulie was implying than confused.

'Because your repertoire of spells makes you as formidable as the White Knight. Therefore you can hold out long enough for Leonard to transform and finish off whatever's waiting for us out there' Yulie pointed out smirking when she saw the Spellcaster open and close his mouth several times as he tried to get around her logical reasoning.

Huffing in annoyance, Alastor grudgingly accepted what the archer pointed out before marching boldly through the mouth of the canyon and onto the plain. Almost immediately, what appeared to be a giant dog with another face coming out of each side of its head pounced on him from above kicking up a large cloud of sand as it landed practically on top of the Spellcaster.

No sooner had the monster landed was it suddenly sent flying again as the White Knight charged into it with his shield then cutting it in two in mid-air.

Ignoring the two pieces of the megalo-tigris as they crashed to the ground, Leonard quickly looked down at where the monster was previously. He was surprised when he saw a circle of stalagmites angled so that they overlapped at the top to form a sort of spike tipped cone that, judging by the blood on the tips, protected Alastor from becoming the monster's next meal.

As if no longer sensing any threats, the cone of stone spears shrank back into the ground allowing all to see a perfectly unharmed Alastor stand up.

'For a moment there I thought it actually got you' Leonard told the Spellcaster patting him on the shoulder as if to confirm what he saw was real and not an illusion.

'That was a little too close, even for _me_' Alastor admitted knowing full well that, had he been a split second slower in casting that spell, he would have been killed before he could even draw breath to scream.

'But, fortunately, not close enough' Eldore pointed as he and the women approached his location. There was a hint of admiration in his voice.

Kara was once again giving Alastor a calculating look, as if trying to gauge how powerful he truly was and what other tricks he might have up his sleeves. Yulie on the other hand preferred using actions rather than words to say what she thought and proved it by slugging Alastor hard on his left arm.

'Jeez, what was that for?' Alastor exclaimed as he took a step back from her in case she decided to hit him again.

'For scaring us! We actually thought you had been killed!' Yulie snapped at him as she stomped off towards the Flanders so that no one would see her red face.

Alastor just kept his mouth shut. He wanted to point out that _she_ was the one who suggested that he should be the one to lure out the tigris but was afraid that his arm would not cope with another beating. He already knew that there was a good chance that his arm was badly bruised from the girl's first blow.

'Women' He muttered as the rest of them followed after her before they had a repeat of what happened the last time they were separated in the desert.

'So, what's the Bunker Lode's like?' Leonard asked Alastor as they continued towards the Flanders.

'Definitely not ideal for a vacation spot, I'll say that much' Alastor replied as he massaged his bruised arm.

'Full of surprises' Kara put in. 'You can count on that'

'You've been there?' Leonard asked turning his attention to the blond haired swordswoman.

'No' Kara answered. 'But I have heard many stories about them from travellers passing through Albana'

'We'll find out when we get there, lad' Eldore told the youth noticing that his enthusiasm was starting to return.

Indeed the closer the group got to the Flanders the youths seemed to become more their usual selves. By the time they reached the mouth of the Flander trail, it was as if both Leonard and Yulie had not set foot in the Lagnish desert.

'Is this it?' Leonard asked as they passed through the entrance to the trail and were now traipsing up a steady incline through what appeared to be an open topped tunnel allowing them to just see the summit of the Flanders basked in the sky of the setting sun.

'Yes, the Flanders. And on the other side lie the Bunker Lode Caverns' Eldore replied stopping them as they reached a level piece of ground.

'So, how are we going to get there?' Yulie asked as she looked around the cavernous tunnel walls where huge chunks of glittering blue mineral poked out resembling miniature crystalline obelisks.

'To reach the mines, and the ruins that lie inside them, we must first follow this trail over the mountain, and then make our way down into the great caldera' Kara explained pointing up the trail before them. 'The correct route has been sign posted so that even those who lack a sense of direction can find it, assuming they don't fall prey to the boar, jackals, vespids and ice giants of the Flanders'

'After that, we grab a gondola into Greede which, if I'm remembering correctly, should be "down" seeing as mining season ended last month' Alastor finished for her looking back on his time in the free city. 'Which means, we'll have a little more work to do before we can reach the desired caverns'

'This isn't going to be easy then' Eldore mused understanding what Alastor meant.

'And what we are doing _is_?' Kara asked mockingly.

Leonard and Yulie looked at each other in confusion evidently clueless about what the other three members of their group were talking about only just understanding how they were getting there.

'So, uhh...translation please?' Leonard asked hopefully.

'You'll see soon enough' Eldore said mysteriously. 'For now, we'll set up camp. Tomorrow's going to be a busy day'

Unfortunately, the width of the trail where they were camping for the night was too narrow to put up even one tent without blocking the pass. Instead the group opted for camping out on the ground hoping that the night weather remained pleasant. They had just finished of the last of the boar meat they had procured during their travels when Foz swooped down to convey another message from Cisna via his pink feathered mate.

'Cisna, are you alright?' Were the first words out of Leonard's mouth before the image of the Princess could finish forming. That did not stop them from seeing the relieved smile blemishing her face in relief upon seeing that they were all fine; Leonard in particular.

'I'm fine, considering. It's not as bad as before' She told them looking about, checking to see if anybody was spying on her from wherever she was located, before pressing on to urgent matters. 'But Leonard, listen I'm more worried about you'

'What is it?' Leonard asked worriedly.

'That man in black armour' Cisna told them. 'Before, he was always here, watching me. But I haven't seen him in a while now'

Everyone tensed at that. The black knight, General Dragias, had fought them to a stalemate, even _before_ calling forth Ebonwings, the last time they fought. If the Princess could no longer see him, then it was highly possible that Dragias could be out hunting them down himself.

'Well...perhaps this doesn't mean anything' Cisna continued.

If anyone had an objection to the Princess' last statement, they kept quiet.

'Princess. Can you tell where you are?' Yulie asked hoping it might help confirm where they were going.

'I think we're heading for the Bunker Lode Caverns. The ruins there if I had to guess' Cisna replied making an educated guess given that the ruins in the desert were not far from the mountains they were now in.

'Don't you worry, we're going to rescue you' Leonard told her confidently. 'I promise'

Cisna smiled appreciatively at his words as her image faded away. 'Do be careful, Leonard'

'Just as we thought. They're heading for the Bunker Lode ruins' Eldore mused out loud as he stroked his beard in thought.

'It all makes sense' Kara spoke up from her seat on a nearby boulder. 'A nest of dragons has dwelled there for ages. And they say that one of them guards over one of the Knight's Arks'

'How do you know such things?' Eldore asked suspiciously. Even Alastor was curious to know as he stared at the girl.

'Oh, you know' Kara shrugged it off with a wave of her hand. 'People in Albana, they are always talking'

'A Knight protected by a dragon' Yulie muttered out loud as she stoked the campfire. 'Just like a fairy tale'

'As if this quest wasn't fairy tale enough already with the whole damsel in distress saved by a knight in shining armour' Alastor scoffed before turning serious. 'Still, if it _is_ a Knight's Ark, then that would be all the more reason for the Magi to go there and for us to stop them'

'Except we're not going there for the Knight' Leonard told them. 'Our goal is to rescue the Princess'

'Well, whatever the reason, the destination remains the same' Kara chuckled as if humoured by how serious Leonard was taking this.

'The first step of our journey takes us up, over these mountains' Eldore cut in suddenly. 'It won't be easy, this is hard terrain'

'So what else is new?' Leonard asked challengingly.

'It'll be easier to cross than a desert though' Yulie commented sounding quite cheerful about no longer having to cross over hot sand with the sun beating mercilessly down on them.

Alastor chuckled quietly to himself. He knew that, no matter how enthusiastic Leonard and Yulie were now, they would be hard pressed to remain that way shortly after beginning the climb to the top of the trail.

Making himself more comfortable against the wall of the pass, Alastor focused his mind on more important matters; namely the black knight's absence. The fact that the mystery knight could take on all of them and still hold his own evidently meant that they would again meet, yet there was no sign of him or Ebonwings at the ruins. Couple that with Kara's "coincidental" joining of the group during the time when the knight supposedly vanished and he found himself with a scary possibility. But the black knight was a man, was he not?

'Thinking about where the black knight might be?' Yulie asked as she sat down beside him and made herself comfortable.

'That guy is probably the most dangerous opponent we have to face. Not knowing where he is doesn't exactly bode well for us' The Spellcaster replied opening one eye to look at the girl beside him. 'I take it you're talking to me again?'

Yulie had the decency to blush as she looked away from him. 'Well...you did scare us when it looked like the beast killed you. And I guess I'm...kinda starting to like you'

'Bet I can make you think the opposite of me come tomorrow' Alastor chuckled.

'Your funeral' Yulie retorted laughing slightly before turning to look at him. 'But seriously, you and Leonard are the strongest out of all of us. I'm not so sure how far we could make it without either of you'

'Well we wouldn't be here if it weren't for Leonard, period' Alastor pointed out referring to what happened in Balandor.

'I guess' Yulie agreed leaning against Alastor as sleep started to take hold of her. 'But it also would've meant that I would not have been able to learn more about magic and how to use it'

'You would've learned eventually, even without my help' Alastor shrugged or at least tried to without disturbing Yulie whose head was leaning on his shoulder as she fell asleep. She was lucky that Alastor did not have the heart to move her.

_**~#~#~#~**_

'My instructions were to retrieve the Ark. What is taking Belcitane so long?'

'Who knows, my lord' Shapur replied to the man who was just a silhouette against the light shining through the window of the monoship.

'Who knows indeed? _Retire_ him, Shapur'

'Of course' Shapur said bowing before leaving the lord to his thoughts.

He was this close to obtaining another knight. Once the Arks of _Wizel_ and _Larvayne_ were in his grasp, he would then move onto _Adolmaea_ which was still resting where everything had began for him and his younger siblings.

_**~#~#~#~**_

They had barely made off on their first leg up the Flander trail before Leonard and Yulie began to run out of breath. Due to their upbringings on the flat plains around Balandor, neither of them were used to the more uphill and rugged journeys that both Alastor and Eldore had been through. Kara apparently, had some experience to this as she was faring better than them.

'Boy, this looks steep' Yulie panted.

'You're telling me' Leonard agreed sounding just as tired.

'Giving up all ready?' Kara taunted them. 'We could return to the desert, if you wish'

'Whatever happened to all that cheerful enthusiasm I heard from you two last night?' Alastor called down to them from the head of the group.

'The climbing is the least of our worries' Eldore pointed out as they reached the peak of the incline onto level ground.

'Yeah, that figures' Leonard muttered as he got his breath back.

'Think of this as endurance training for when the real fighting begins. Assuming that you make it that far' Kara added as an afterthought.

If Leonard felt insulted by Kara's words it did not show as he apparently regained his breath and started to press on up the next hill this time ahead of Alastor who looked like he was just going for a morning stroll. Stopping at the top of the next incline, Leonard decided to press Alastor about Greede whilst they were waiting for the others.

'So, what's Greede like?' He asked trying not to sound too eager.

'You'll see soon enough' Alastor replied repeating the words Eldore told the youth last night.

'Come on' Leonard pressed. 'At least tell me about what you did there'

'Just some work as a bodyguard' Was the Spellcaster's reply not wanting to reveal more than that. 'Decided to quit after becoming too fed up of my charge's capers'

Leonard realised that whatever Alastor did there was something of a sore subject, or at least something the Spellcaster wanted to forget about, and wisely decided to drop the subject as the rest of the group arrived.

'Why does everything look so new?' Yulie asked as she looked around whilst regaining her breath.

'The rain, I suppose' Alastor replied although he was not too sure himself. 'Though I'm not too sure why these chasms are always sparkling'

'These mountains contain vast pockets of minerals' Eldore explained. 'It is because of this that Greede is called the "free city" as it is said that they bought that freedom by digging up the mineral'

'So, we're literally walking over a mountain of treasure?' Leonard asked in disbelief as he looked around his feet.

'In a sense' Eldore admitted. 'The ore dug up can be used in a variety of ways'

'Bet you could make an awesome weapon out of some of it' Leonard said as he imagined some of the weapons he had seen on display in the weapon shop in Balandor.

'Some fine jewels as well' Kara added as she gestured at one of the crystals they just passed.

'Are they pretty?' Yulie asked causing Alastor to look at her in disbelief. 'What? I am a girl'

'Could have fooled me' Alastor muttered unaware of how fortunate the archer had stumbled suddenly when he spoke hence missing what was said.

Asides a few encounters with ice lizards, ice giants and even an earth dragon, they eventually reached part of the trail that allowed them a grand view of the caldera. Whilst the view itself was impressive, there was something else there that caught the attention of Leonard.

'What is _that_?' He exclaimed pointing down into the pit.

From where they were standing it looked to be a small spider-like creature. Close up however would reveal that it was actually a colossal beast that was many times the size of even Balandor castle town itself. If the beast, which could only be described as a walking mountain, was astounding then what it was carrying on its back was surely something of a miracle.

'That is the free city of Greede' Eldore told the shocked youths referring to the city that was carried on the beast's back.

Just the site of the city being carried around like it was nothing on the behemoth answered some of the questions Alastor's cryptic words brought up the other night.

'Free of the rule of both Faria and Balandor. Free to go wherever it wants to for that matter' Alastor remarked before continuing down the trail.

'Not exactly my taste' Kara commented referring to how packed the city looked from where they were.

Continuing on for several more minutes, the group found themselves walking out of a tunnel in the mountain onto a small clearing just in time to see a huge shadow pass over them. Quickly running ahead of them, Leonard quickly stopped as the shadow's owner swooped down low over him kicking up dust in its wake.

'What the?' He exclaimed as he wiped the dirt off his face with one hand just in time to see Yulie pointing in the direction of the creature.

The creature was easily as big as some of the other huge beasts they had come into contact with over their journey. This one was also covered in greyish black scales and claws that looked like they could cut through anything with ease.

'A dragon' Kara muttered.

'An old one by the looks of it' Alastor noted frowning slightly as he stared up at the dragon. Was it his imagination or was the dragon staring at each of them separately, as if checking to see if they were a threat to its kind?

Without warning the dragon snarled before swooping down at them again this time causing them to dive out the way before they collided. Pulling out of the dive, the dragon circled around again for another attack.

'Do you think it senses the Knight and believes it's a threat?' Yulie asked as she picked herself up.

'It appears so' Eldore agreed as he watched the dragon disappear out of sight below the ledge before shooting skyward at an alarming speed.

The group barely had time to prepare themselves before the dragon landed before them with such force that they nearly fell down under its impact.

Opening jaws that could snap a grown man clean in two with one bite, the dragon spat out a large fireball intent on destroying whatever threat that had spooked it. Meeting the dragon's fireball with one of his own, Alastor was stunned to see the two blazing spheres combine into an even bigger fireball and still speed towards him.

Unable to cast a barrier spell in time, Alastor quickly dove to the side as the fireball slammed into the ground its shockwave sending the Spellcaster tumbling along the ground before rolling to a stop battered, bruised and breathless but fortunately still alive.

Seeing his chance, Leonard summoned his Knight's Ark. He was unable to do any more as the dragon's tail suddenly struck him in the chest sending him into Eldore and forcing both of them to the ground.

'We're no match for it!' He gasped as Eldore quickly cast a healing spell on his fractured ribs.

'How are we supposed to fight it?' Yulie yelled out as she jumped out of the way of the dragon's claws too busy focusing on keeping alive to even attempt attacking it. She gasped when she lost her footing and tumbled to the ground unaware that she had inadvertently avoided being eaten as she tried to blink the stars out of her eyes.

As the dragon continued its offensive, only Eldore noticed a black object speeding down towards them. It was only when the object spread its wings and strike out at the dragon did anyone recognise what or rather who it was.

'The Black Knight!' Yulie half gasped half spat as she stared at the avian-like Knight in black armour as it clashed blade to jaw against the dragon.

'Should we be thanking his timing, or cursing our luck?' Alastor groaned as he picked himself up.

'Remember, one of the Arks is guarded by a dragon' Eldore remarked as he now stared at the dragon in suspicion.

'You think this is the one?' Leonard gasped as he cottoned on to what Eldore was implying.

The group watched on as Dragias and the dragon took their battle to the sky. Despite all his skill with a blade, Dragias was no match for a dragon in its domain and was soon sent crashing to the ground as the dragon tackled it with such force that the impact created a small crater.

'_O Wizel, white warrior, wielder of the ancient sword grant me your power!_' The dragon turned its head towards the voice in time to see Leonard sink the ceremonial blade into the gauntlet. '_Verto!_'

As the pale blue light faded away, the dragon suddenly found itself on the receiving end of the White Knight's armoured fist.

'**Looks like I'm not the only one having trouble here'** Leonard remarked to Dragias as the dragon snarled at him.

Dragias remained silent as he picked himself up and readied himself to attack the dragon again.

'**Fine. We'll join forces, but just this once'** Leonard said before charging in with his own sword raised and his shield held out in front of him.

Seeing Leonard charge towards it, the dragon took to the sky. It did not notice Dragias until the Black Knight had sunk his rapier into the dragon's wing tearing the membrane and rendering flight impossible. Lashing out with its tail, the dragon attempted to swat Dragias out of the sky as it sent a fireball at Leonard. Both Knights evaded or blocked the attacks respectively before striking out with their blades dealing lethal blows to the dragon.

Roaring in pain, the dragon failed to see Dragias plunge his blade into its leg catching it off balance as Leonard slammed his shield into its face sending it to the ground.

As Leonard stood over the wounded dragon, Yulie suddenly ran towards them yelling until she got her friends attention.

'The dragon isn't going to hurt us now' She pointed out. 'Don't kill it'

Leonard looked from his friend to the injured dragon that was looking at him as if it was waiting to see what he would do. Seeing Yulie's point, Leonard slowly backed away from the dragon letting it know that he was not going to attack it anymore.

The next second, a pillar of fire shot towards the dragon from above spearing it through the chest. As the dragon wailed in pain as it succumbed to death's embrace, Dragias swooped down from above and inspected its remains.

'**No'** He muttered as he hovered in place. **'This was not the one'**

Before anyone could retaliate, Dragias flew away leaving the group and the still form of the dragon in his wake.

'It's dead' Leonard whispered disheartened that such a powerful and amazing creature had been practically murdered before his eyes.

'Yes, and dragons do not tolerate those who kill their kin. More will be coming for certain' Eldore said before quickly looking about as if expecting the sudden appearance of another dragon this time enraged.

'Then let's get out of here before they show up' Alastor suggested to a unanimous agreement.

It was only as they left the clearing did they notice that there was someone missing from there group.

'Where's Kara?' Yulie asked, voicing the question on their minds.

_**~#~#~#~**_

'Who could have done this?' A youth around Leonard and Yulie's age asked as he stared at the prone form of the ancient dragon he had seen flying through the skies on several occasions.

Kneeling before the dragon in silent prayer, the youth then produced a green Storestone that held in it the flames of a dragon. It was unknown who or how the flames got there but the moment they touched the dragon the creature was engulfed in green as they washed over its body.

'Well, friend, there's always your next life to look forward to' The youth said as he stood up. 'Just pray you're not born a human'

_**~#~#~#~**_

'I'm beginning to wonder if joining you guys on this quest was a good idea' Alastor grumbled as he stared at the remains of his staff in his hand. It was the only piece that was not reduced to splinters when the dragon had inadvertently stomped on it as well as the second one he had gone through since he signed up for that job in the winery.

'Better it than you' Yulie pointed out before noticing someone walking towards them. 'Kara! Where were you?'

'Unconscious. You could have helped' Kara replied harshly as she walked passed Yulie.

'Sorry about that, we were just tied up with trying to stay alive against a _dragon_' Alastor retorted throwing away the remains of the staff glaring at Kara all the while. 'Speaking of dragons, what the hell did the Black Knight mean when he said "this was not the one"?'

'Our friend Ebonwings was looking for something: the dragon who guards the Knight' Eldore replied pulling out of his musings.

'That's good. That means the Magi haven't gotten their hands on the next Ark yet' Leonard said optimistically.

'So it does' Eldore agreed.

'So let's hurry up and get to those ruins!' Leonard pressed as he leapt off the boulder he was sitting on.

'Hold your horses, Knight-boy' Alastor butted in. 'We'll have to go to Greede first in order to get to the specific cavern'

'So what do you suggest we do next, Magician-boy?' Yulie asked using her nickname for the Spellcaster.

'Find a gondola post. There should be one just along this trail' Alastor replied before walking down the trail towards said port. 'That good enough for you, _Short-stuff_?'

'Oh, you did not just say what I think you did, did you?' Yulie called after him as she marched after the Spellcaster.

'At least it won't get boring' Kara commented.

_**~#~#~#~**_

It turned out that the trail's end was just round the next corner letting Leonard and Yulie gawk at the sight before them.

What appeared to be a huge sea creature similar to a batoidea with numerous sets of wings along its body glided down carrying a carriage under it via support cables onto a landing platform that had been sculpted out of the rock face with wooden scaffolding that acted as the creatures perch during arrivals and departures. The moment it landed, people of various races emerged from the carriage whilst others gathered to be let on.

'They may be called gondolas, but the creatures are what we call skywavers due to the way their wings seem to make waves in-flight' Alastor explained to them not at all surprised that Leonard and Yulie were staring at it in amazement.

'Look like fun, Leonard?' Kara asked the youth seeing the look on his face.

'What? No' Leonard replied trying to look as if he had seen creatures like this before.

'Lair' Yulie teased as they got into line for those wanting to go down to Greede. 'You looked like a boy getting his first real weapon of his own'

Leonard wisely decided to keep his mouth shut in case he said something else Yulie could tease him about.

The trip on the gondola was surprisingly smooth with only a small jolt as the skywaver took off. Whilst Leonard and Yulie stared at the scenery and approaching free city from the small observation deck on the front of the carriage whilst Eldore and Kara watched through the portals, Alastor stood in the corner of the carriage as if trying to prepare himself for what lay ahead of them.

'It'll be near impossible to get what we need done without running into _him_' He mused quietly to himself. 'Which means I'm gonna have to make myself scarce during the time we need to see the Count. The only problem being how I get away from the others'

Quickly glancing at the others, Alastor began formulating a plan that would, hopefully, prevent him from meeting whoever this person was that he was trying to avoid.

Minutes later, the gondola arrived in Greede and the group had disembarked and were now walking towards what seemed to be the cities centre hub due to grand hall they had found themselves in which had service stalls and plaques with the names of the many sectors Greede seemed to be divided into. Just a quick glance round showed that there were people from every race mingling, including Farians.

'So this is Greede' Leonard said as he looked around. It was a definite step up from the somewhat quiet streets of Balandor.

'To think this whole place actually moves' Yulie remarked finding that she could walk about without feeling any tremors when the creature whose back they were upon moved through the basin. 'It's like...out of a fantasy!'

'Further proving what Alastor said last night about our quest' Kara said nonplussed apparently having been to Greede before.

'The entire city is borne on the back of a giant monster they call the Demithor' Eldore told them who apparently had also been to Greede at some point during his travels.

'So how are we going to get to the Bunker Lode Caverns from the city?' Leonard asked curiously.

'Now that's the hard part' Eldore admitted apparently still trying to work it out himself.

'Allow me to explain' Kara said figuring it best to tell the youths how Greede was run. 'Like Eldore said earlier, Greede works because the mines generate enough revenue for the city to maintain its independence. Unfortunately, for us, the mining season is over, so the Demithor has moved into the "down" position'

Kara's brief explanation further unravelled the cryptic message Alastor had told them yesterday. It also revealed something else to the two youths.

'Hold on a minute!' Yulie butted in. 'Does this mean that, when the mining season starts again, the _whole city_ will be...?'

'Lifted so that the entire city is connected to the selected cavern on the mountainside. It allows them to move much larger amounts that would be too heavy to carry by gondola'

'So, to get to the mines, the entire city must be moved' Leonard concluded finally understanding what Eldore meant when he said this was the hard part. It was not as if one could just go up and ask whoever was in charge of the city to just move the city.

'And only Count Drisdall can authorise such a thing' Eldore added implying that there was no other way to move the Demithor by themselves which was a herculean task for anyone who did not know how the Demithor was controlled which was probably a closely guarded secret.

'Why the hell did you not tell us any of this sooner?' Yulie demanded of Alastor rounding on the silent Spellcaster.

'Because I've been trying to remember how many people owe me favours in Greede and who could help us the most' He replied snapping out of his apparent daydream when he realised he was being spoken to. 'Assuming they still live in Greede'

'So what do you suggest we do?' Kara asked. 'You were a former citizen of Greede, were you not?'

If Alastor noted the subtle mocking tone in Kara's questions he chose to ignore it and went on to explain the plan he had quickly came up with.

'Obviously we need to go around the city and ask around. Our best bet would be the merchant quarter and downtown districts. If we're lucky, we should be able to find a way to gain an audience with the Count' He proposed. 'I know a contact in downtown so I'll head there whilst you all head to the merchant quarter'

'Sounds like a plan to me' Leonard accepted secretly hoping that no love letters were involved. 'But why is it just _you_ going downtown?'

'Because downtown has more shady people roaming around there, not a place for tourists and newcomers' Alastor replied hoping they would believe him. It was true in a sense that, compared to the rest of Greede, downtown was shadier than the rest but only because it was partially nestled between towering buildings.

Asides getting frowns from Eldore and Kara the group agreed to Alastor's plan and headed off towards the locomotive's departure platform on the upper level. Thankful that he still had his train pass, Alastor quickly used a duplication spell on it so the others had one before they reached the turnstile where a station master was checking those who wished to board if they had theirs with them.

He was also thankful that the two destinations were in separate directions so he did not have to stand under the scrutinizing gaze of the others until one of their destinations were upon them. Getting on to the locomotive bound for downtown, Alastor was too engrossed in wondering if his contact was still living in Greede to realise that somebody had sat down next to him until he was spoken to.

'So how does it feel to be back here after a while?' Yulie asked curiously inwardly smiling when Alastor practically jumped out of his seat when he realised he had been followed.

'What in the world are you doing here?' He whispered furiously. 'Why aren't you with the others?'

'Because you've been acting strange and I want to know why' She replied. 'Ever since Eldore told us about the Magi heading to the Bunker Lode caverns yesterday you've been acting a little differently. It's as if you're hiding something'

'I have _no idea_ what you're talking about' Alastor grumbled as he looked away from her holding in his sigh in frustration.

'Say whatever you want. I'm not going to let you out of my sight' Yulie stated with an air that declared this discussion over.

As tempting as it was to put her to sleep and leave her on the locomotive, Alastor refrained from doing so and accepted that he was going to have to let Yulie tag along. For now.

_**~#~#~#~**_

'You sure it's okay to let her go with him?' Leonard asked the others as they left the locomotive and entered the merchant's quarter.

'Jealous over your friend wanting to go off with someone alone?' Kara asked with mock curiosity.

'I'm sure Alastor will keep her safe' Eldore told the Ark bearer before he got flustered over what Kara was insinuating.

'I'm more worried about Alastor than Yulie. She's been dead set in believing he's a former member of the Chaos Legion, the Dark Magician no less, ever since I told her about him being in the war against Faria' Leonard explained.

'He does seem have a higher grasp of the magical arts than most people, including me' Eldore admitted. 'She might actually be on to something'

'That or she doesn't think that their being in the army at the same time is just a mere coincidence' Kara shrugged as if waving the matter aside for the time being. 'We all have secrets to hide'

'Indeed' Eldore agreed but was he referring to Alastor, Kara or perhaps even himself?

Leonard shook his head to rid himself of the matter. As much as he wanted Alastor to really be one of his heroes from his younger days, he had seen the Spellcaster collapse after doing an advanced spell that the Dark Magician could cast without breaking a sweat. Unfortunately, Yulie was as stubborn as she was determined therefore he felt bad about letting her go alone with Alastor.

Focusing his mind on the task ahead, Leonard began asking round for where the nearest tavern. After all, if they found Kara at the tavern in Albana then the odds of finding someone to help them in Greede should be in their favour.

_**~#~#~#~**_

Being on what was practically one of the bottom most levels of the tall factories and structures of dizzying heights with narrow pathways going off in all directions, Yulie was sure of only one thing.

'I'm definitely gonna get lost down here' She muttered as she followed Alastor out of the station and into the steel labyrinth.

It was hard to believe that, despite most of the place was either rusting steel walls, support beams for the structures higher up or machinery that run Greede, people were bustling about going on their business as if nothing was wrong.

'You're a tough girl, you'll survive' Alastor threw over his shoulder as he made his way down a narrow alley that led onto a small clearing that granted them view of the sky above.

'Yeah. But for how long?' Yulie threw back as she tried to imagine how high up those smokestacks above her were.

When she did not receive some form of comment from the Spellcaster, Yulie whipped round to find that Alastor had gone and pulled a disappearing act on her.

'When I get my hands on him...' Yulie grumbled before swinging round and landing a strong right hook on the guy who had just tried to swipe her money pouch. As the would-be pickpocket collapsed like a sack of rocks, one could only wonder what she would do to the person she had come to downtown with.

_**~#~#~#~**_

'Thank you, sir, please come again' Galileo said as he watched the customer leave the shop with his purchase before rounding on the two youths that were currently sweeping up the latest mess they made. Although the papitaur always managed to keep calm and collected regardless of the situation, there was something about these two human orphans that always managed to get under his pelt.

He had first found Zoe and Taro several months after opening his store, Galileo's Apothecary, in Greede's downtown district and had hired them on as assistants. Unfortunately, whilst they did prove to be reliable, they had a habit of running around the shop to grab the required ingredients for whatever potion he was making resulting in the two of them colliding and whatever vials and or jars they were carrying to smash upon contact with the ground effectively contaminating whatever was contained inside. It was fortunate that this time the broken jars only held common ingredients unlike that vial of earth dragon blood that cost him half his fortune to purchase the other month.

Before he was able to give them a good telling off, the door to his shop opened indicating another customer. He barely had time to turn round and greet said customer before his two eager assistants had beat him to the punch.

'Welcome to Galileo's Apothecary' They said simultaneously before Taro continued. 'You want it-'

'-we make it' Zoe finished.

The corner of Galileo's mouth would have twitched upwards at their antics had he not noticed who was standing in the doorway looking nonplussed at the performance before him. Even after not seeing him for over a year, there was no mistaking that hair or scowl.

'I'll take care of this one, you two' He said tossing a small money pouch to Taro knowing that the lad was the more sensible and level headed of the two. 'You've done enough already'

Despite looking like they wanted to stick around, Taro and Zoe obediently left the apothecary leaving Galileo alone with the customer.

'Been a while since I last saw you' Galileo commented as he walked behind the counter then reappeared above it on a high stool. 'What brings you back here?'

'You hear about what happened in Balandor?' Alastor questioned as he walked up to the counter.

'Only what my sources tell me' The Papitaur admitted. 'Some group callin themselves the Magi attacked during the Princess' big day, swiping her and killing off both King Valtos _and_ Archduke Dalam'

'That's not even the half of it' Alastor said grimly before filling in the grey furred papitaur about what else had happened during and after the attack.

_**~#~#~#~**_

'Wonder who that guy was?' Taro muttered out loud as he and Zoe wondered through downtown.

'Probably someone from old Gal's past' Zoe reasoned. 'He's only here because he lent boss some coin and has now returned to collect either the guilder or his life for not paying up sooner'

Taro raised an eyebrow at his friend. 'You've really got to stop letting your imagination getting the better of you'

Zoe stopped and grabbed Taro so that they were now face to face.

'Why else would a scowling guy want to see the boss?' She challenged him.

Taro shook his head before brushing passed Zoe to wherever their feet were taking them. Having been living off the streets for most of his life until Galileo hired him, he had seen all sorts of people and he really doubted that the man who the boss was talking to was not here to collect on some debt. Whatever business those two had was for them to know and him and Zoe to keep out of.

'Excuse me?' The two orphans stopped in their tracks and turned to look at the purple haired girl who had just spoken to them. 'This "scowling guy" you just mentioned. Did he have blue spiky hair and wore a green tunic?'

_**~#~#~#~**_

'And they believe that in these ruins, in one of the caverns where the dragons roost, is another one of those incor-whatsits?' Galileo asked after Alastor had finished explaining things.

'It's possible. But right now, we're focusing on just rescuing the Princess. Or at least Leonard is' Alastor said.

Galileo shook his head in amazement. The healer had been in the army alongside Alastor and heard many a tale, be it fairy, fantasy or real, and what he was hearing now would definitely have been campfire material. It was all so surreal yet real at the same time.

'That reminds me. Why are _you_ helping them? It's not you to put yourself into harm's way for someone you just met'

'You think I don't know that' The Spellcaster snapped sounding frustrated over the subject. 'For the life in me, I just can't seem to figure out why I'm doing this, and it's getting on my nerves'

'There is that gap in your memory you told me about' Galileo pondered. 'You could've met them then and your subconscious vaguely remembers them'

'Twelve odd years ago, they would have been brats back then' Alastor pointed out. 'And even if you're right…Look, do you have any idea what's tickling the Count's fancy just now or not?'

Galileo frowned at the change of subject but just went with it seeing how his comrade was uncomfortable with it at the moment. 'According to my sources, the Count is after this statue called the _Goddess of Lepanne_. It's gonna be put to bid in the Black Cherry; an auction hall in the black market'

Alastor nearly groaned at this. He knew and heard all about the black market and its infamous auction home, he even knew where it was located, the only trouble was that you needed a black market pass to get in. It was rumoured that you literally had to kill someone to get one. He was therefore surprised when the grey papitaur vanished out of sight for a second only to appear with aforementioned pass.

'I get some rare and potent ingredients from them every now and again' The papitaur replied with a dismissive shrug when the Spellcaster looked at him inquisitively. He then pulled out a small leather bag from behind the counter and placed it beside the pass. 'Trust me when I say you'll need this if what they said about the statue's true'

Quirking an eyebrow at the papitaur, Alastor pocketed the pass whilst storing the mysterious leather bag within the Storestone. He would have said more but the sound of the shop door, for some strange reason, compelled him to turn round. He was fortunate that he did as it allowed him to move before someone attempted to strike him in the face.

'You've got some nerve, leaving me alone like that!' Yulie practically shouted as she threw another punch only stopping when she realised that he had somehow gotten behind her and was now leaving the store.

'See if you can get in contact with the others. Tell them to start cleaning the rust off their blades' He said as he left the shop with an irate Yulie right behind him.

'That girl's got a lot of spirit' Galileo muttered as he shook his head.

'How do you figure that boss?' Taro asked from the shop door having not moved from the spot since Yulie stepped inside and had attempted to strike Alastor.

'Because she's the only girl I've seen to stand up to him and not back down' Galileo explained hopping down from the counter. 'Either Al's lost his edge or that girl doesn't know _who_ she's dealing with'

'Or she has feelings for him' Zoe chipped in only to receive looks of disbelief. 'What? It could happen'

_**~#~#~#~**_

'Don't you walk away from me!' Yulie practically shouted at Alastor not caring if she drew attention to them as she was too infuriated with the Spellcaster for leaving her alone.

Alastor just ignored her. He was actually amazed that she had actually found him so quickly, believing that Yulie would have still been wandering around downtown when he had finished his business with Galileo. Instead he was almost greeted with the girl's deadly right hook.

He was no longer able to ignore Yulie when the girl, a head small than him, literally grabbed him and threw him into a nearby alley. He just managed to catch himself from falling flat on his face and turn round before Yulie collided with him pinning him to a wall with one arm against his throat so that she was nearly choking him.

'Stop ignoring me and evading the question!' Yulie hissed. 'We are not moving from this alley until you at least tell me why you are not being your usual grouchy self!'

The next second Yulie stumbled backwards as Alastor glared at her. It was not one of his normal glares which usually just showed his frustration or anger at someone, but one that seemed to burn through her very being right to her soul instilling a fear she had not experienced since she was a little girl.

Upon realising that he had given the girl one of his infamous _death glares_, Alastor immediately averted his eyes allowing Yulie to sink to her knees in relief. Although he was inwardly cursing himself for using an ability he had not used since his days fighting against Faria, it was also partially Yulie's fault for pushing him too far.

'Now you know what I'm like when I'm _really_ angry' He said after a few moments offering a hand to Yulie who was still staring at him in a mixture of awe and fear.

Despite still feeling a little shaky, Yulie grasped hold of the offered hand and allowed Alastor to pull her up. She then used the momentum the moment she was on her feet to swing her left hand at the Spellcaster's face mustering all the anger she could put into it. Despite the speed it came at him, Alastor still saw it coming and managed to catch it in time.

'Full of spirit, I'll give you that' He conceded unable to mask the surprise of how close she came to actually hitting him.

'You should see me when _I'm_ angry' Yulie said as she pulled away although she said it jokingly, the Spellcaster decided to take her seriously just in case. 'And you did say you'd make me think the opposite of you last night, but that didn't mean you could just abandon me in the middle of downtown. I almost had my money pouch stolen _five times_'

'Almost?' Alastor repeated quirking an eyebrow at what Yulie meant until the girl showed him the slightly bruised knuckles of her right hand. 'Ah, right'

'So, what did you find out?' Yulie asked believing it best to focus on what they had come here to do for now seeing as he was keeping his guard up around her for now.

Leading Yulie back towards the station, Alastor filled her in what the Count was currently searching for and where they had to go. Unfortunately, he also had to tell her about the membership card he was loaned and the mysterious bag he was given which would inevitably pique the girl's curiosity.

'Why would a potion maker need a black market pass?'

'Because, sometimes, it's the only way to get quality ingredients' Alastor shrugged remembering what Gal had said before Yulie came in. 'He's got his own reasons. If you want to know, ask him'

'Maybe I will' Yulie said as a smile started to creep over her face. 'I might even ask about how you know each other'

Realising he had just given her an opportunity to find out about his past, Alastor groaned audibly. Before he could think of anything to say that could dissuade the girl who was now smiling widely, a familiar voice could be heard from up ahead.

'Hey, guys!' Leonard called as he jogged up to them whilst Eldore and Kara followed at a slower pace. 'Find anything?'

'You bet' Yulie replied cheerfully. 'There's an item the count's looking for in the black market'

'The Goddess of Lepanne, right?' Leonard confirmed causing Yulie to stare at him in disbelief. 'We asked around a few taverns in the merchant quarter'

'We actually gained the information in the first tavern we went to, but the lad wanted to be sure it wasn't just a ruse made up to fool people out of coin' Eldore told the two.

'When he asked if there were any other taverns about and their locations, I thought he was becoming an alcoholic' Kara noted causing Yulie to force down the chuckle building up as she remembered thinking the same thing about Alastor when they reached Albana.

'Quite a leap considering how lost he was in Albana' Alastor commented mildly surprised by the youth's intuition.

'I wasn't that bad, was I?' Leonard could not help but ask feeling slightly embarrassed.

'We also heard a few snippets from passing locals about the Count's son Caesar' Eldore quickly put in before anyone could answer the youth's question.

'Oh?' Alastor's eyebrows rose slightly at Eldore's news. 'Do tell'

'It's nothing interesting, I'm afraid' Eldore elaborated. 'Basically just describing him as an aloof young man who's kind to anyone with a pretty face and a matching body'

'That's the Count's son alright' The younger Spellcaster remarked shaking his head in what appeared to be disappointment. 'You'd think being of age now would make him mature'

'Met him before, have you?' Eldore inquired knowing that this might be a chance to glean something from his fellow Spellcaster's past.

'Almost wanted to kill him. Or, at least, cripple him' Alastor grumbled as he looked back on that time and several other moments.

'I'm sure he can't have been that bad' Yulie objected thinking it may have been partly due to Alastor himself for whatever happened between the two.

'She's right; he could be _worse_' Kara added.

_**~#~#~#~**_

After walking through "the one part of Greede that never changed", according to Eldore and reinforced by Alastor, the group found themselves near a steel door that looked as if it was just part of the solid iron base of the locomotive bridge.

'Remember, we must get that statue at all costs' Eldore reminded them knowing that this may be their only chance of gaining an audience with the Count and enabling them to continue their pursuit towards the Magi.

'Just having Leonard transform in front of the auctioneer, should accomplish that' Kara offered.

'And bring the authorities down on our heads, if the building doesn't' Alastor countered.

'You could always just _glare_ at them' Yulie reasoned a little harshly remembering what he did to her with said glare.

'We'll just go in and see what happens' Leonard concluded although he could not help being slightly curious about what Yulie meant about Alastor's glares gaining them the statue. His glares were not that deadly, were they?

Banging on the door with the pommel of his sword, since he doubted his fist would work well, Leonard only had to wait a few moments before a bolt slid to one side to reveal a peephole where a pair of shifty eyes darted over the group before resting on Leonard.

'Pass' He muttered just barely loud enough for the youth to hear.

The man guarding the door barely glanced at the black market pass Leonard held up to the hole before sliding the bolt shut again. For a second, Leonard actually thought they had been tricked, that this was all one big hoax the Magi created to keep them distracted long enough to find the armoured dragon and leave. It was only when the sound of a lock undoing and the groan of rusted hinges did he realise they were being granted access to the black market.

'Go on through' The doorman said when he appeared in the now open doorway.

Finding the Black Cherry auction house was not hard after that. Just down several flights of stairs and it was the first building they saw. Making their way inside, both Leonard and Yulie were unable to prevent their eyes from roaming round the auction home.

Despite its yellowing, chipped, walls, the place looked a mixture of taverns with finery similar to Don Phibianacci's lair only less impressive. There was also a warm atmosphere over the area, rather strange for a black market auctioning, possibly due to the fact that there were people from several societies in the room. No doubt all were there for one thing.

As if sensing their desire, a middle aged man with violet hair walked onto the stage set in the centre of the auction hall and spoke to the crowd whilst two female assistants carried out a red velvet and gold trimmed box and placed it on the stand beside him. Almost instantly the bickering ceased.

'Looks like we arrived just in time' Eldore said as he, Alastor and Kara took seats at an empty table in the corner.

'Next up, a treasure unlike any other' The auctioneer had a slight Farian accent indicating he may have done a bit of merchandising in their land and had picked it up. 'Many have coveted this beauty, und now you have ze chance to possess her'

With a flourish of the auctioneer's hand, one of the assistants gently lifted away the red and gold cover to reveal the sculpture of an ancient goddess.

'I give you the Goddess of Lepanne!' He proclaimed to the applause of the crowd. Tensions and whispers began to stir as everyone was preparing to bid their last coin in order to attain the master piece.

'That's the one we're after!' Leonard stated as he and Yulie watched the proceedings from atop the small staircase leading to the centre of the hall.

'Now, please be avare, we vill only sell ze Goddess _if_ she is made whole again' The auctioneer said over the sudden rise in chatter causing all to stop and look more closely at the supposedly flawless statue. 'Zat's right. Unfortunately, zis particular item is not quite complete. Ze eyes. As you can see, she is missing von of ze precious firestones which give her eyes zeir fierce und passionate glow'

'Does anyone else get the feeling this catch is going to be fraught with danger?' Alastor inquired sounding bored.

It looked like several of the other patrons thought so as well. The excited bickering was now turning into dark mutterings yet the auctioneer carried on.

'Now as you all know, ze firestones are rare gems zat can only be found in ze talons of ze vicious Flandar fire lizard' The patrons were now getting up and leaving the auction hall at their own pace, evidently believing it was not worth their lives. 'However, if some brave man or vomen vere to confront ze beast und bring back ze gem, I might part vith ze Goddess for less zan her full value'

'I wonder how much time he wasted rehearsing this?' Kara mused as the group watched as the crowds mutterings became louder as they vacated the premises whilst the auctioneer continued rambling on unaware of his disappearing customers.

'After all, I only vish to sell her to somevon who vill truly appreciate her' Spreading his arms wide in welcome, the auctioneer called out to the crowd. 'Don't all approach at vonce! Raise your hands und…' Only to see that the auction hall was now devoid of anyone who once wanted to purchase the statue.

'As I feared' He moaned realising his plan was a complete flop. 'Vhy bozer? No von vants to go on a dangerous adventure, of course not!'

'Wait! We'll do it!'

Lifting his head, the auctioneer seemed surprised to see Leonard and his friends still hanging around.

'Vhat? You vill? Really?' He asked in rapid succession as his spirits seemed to rise.

'At least someone's surprised' Kara noted as neither she nor the two Spellcasters even raised an eyebrow when their Incorruptus wielding friend spoke up.

'Thank you, brave sir…truly!' The auctioneer said bowing as Leonard made his way towards him. 'I must confess, after the statue got damaged, I felt simply terrible. Surely, an art lover like yourself must understand?'

Truthfully, Leonard did not understand much about art only that if it was very well done it could only be purchased by the rich. He smiled and went along with it anyway; fighting a lizard for a statue was better than trying to bid for it was better odds in his books.

'My boy, I only vant to see ze Goddess restored to her former glory. If you do zat for me, zen…I vill give ze Goddess to you _for free_. Ja?'

'Really? You will?' Leonard asked in disbelief. This offer was too good to be true.

'Of course!' The auctioneer promised. 'But, ze fire lizard is a truly fearsome monster, yes? Just so we're clear on zat point. You must be careful!'

'Hey, no problem!' Leonard stated confidently. It was just a red version of the ice lizard, right? The statue was already as good as theirs.

'That's what you think, "brave sir"' Kara sighed as if reading his thoughts.

_**~#~#~#~**_

_This was supposed to go until the victory in the Bunker Lode caverns but that would have put it in the twenty thousands so I had to cut it off here. As you can see, I have finally gotten off my couch potato caboose & finished off what I had started nearly a year ago now._

_I am not giving up on this fic & neither should you other WKC writers (Kamikaze Hoshi, RebornBlood & Daniel the Dragonfly, if you're reading this) even if it's just a few words a day, better than just leaving it to gather cyber dust, right?_

_Review if possible & 'til next time_

_Watch this space & peace out!_


	5. The Scion of Greede

_Disclaimers on chapter one_

_**~#~#~#~**_

'See? That wasn't so bad'

'Shut. Up!' Yulie growled at Leonard's comment as she healed the tips of her fingers which had begun bleeding due to the use of continuously firing her bow in the last five minutes.

'Who said that it was?' Kara remarked looking back on their little escapade through the Flanders.

The group had taken the better part of two hours searching for a giant red mineral deposit where the fire lizards made their home. After finally finding its location, all the group had to do was leave out the lizard bait Alastor's contact had provided for him and they had themselves a fire lizard charge right out to meet them. That was when the trouble started.

Whilst fire lizards were practically identical to ice lizards in all but colour and element, they were a great deal more agile and was proven so when said lizard literally began running circles around the group dodging arrows and spells with ease all the while getting the odd bite or scratch at them. It was pure luck that an earth spell from Alastor diverted it into the path of Eldore allowing the elder Spellcaster to deal a glancing blow with his longsword hindering the lizard long enough for Leonard and Kara to plunge their blades into it and finish it off.

'I do' Yulie replied flexing her healed hand before continuing. 'That was a struggle I would rather not go through again'

'As much as I hate to admit it, she's right: This creature sure gave us the run around' said Alastor as he skilfully carved out the firestone from the heel of one of the lizards talons. 'Let's hope this little stone's worth it'

'Why don't we take the stones from the other talons as well?' Yulie questioned as Alastor handed back her hunting knife only now realising he had taken it.

'It only grows in one talon for some strange reason' Eldore explained as they began making their way back towards Greede. 'One of the reasons why these stones are so rare, it seems'

'I reckon they wouldn't be if they weren't so hard to find' Leonard said as he examined the firestone Alastor handed to him.

'Or catch' Kara put in.

'At least we got one' Yulie pointed out optimistically. 'Now all we need to do is collect the statue'

Alastor could not help but groan inwardly. The last time Yulie pointed out something simple and obvious, they had to play messenger for a love struck toad. With the amount of problems he already had just returning to Greede he did not want to add one more to his list.

_**~#~#~#~**_

The auctioneer was almost beside himself in disbelief and joy when he saw Leonard enter the Black Cherry with the firestone firmly in his hand.

'I cannot believe zis! You have found ze firestone!' He almost cried as he gazed down at the molten glazed stone in Leonard's outstretched palm. 'At long last!'

'So you'll give us the Goddess of Lepanne now' Leonard said as he pulled back his hand as if to tease the auctioneer. 'Right?'

The auctioneer began chuckling jovially before breaking out in a laugh that more suited a mad man who had just revealed his plan to his soon to be dead nemesis. Immediately Leonard and the others braced themselves realising they had just been tricked by the Magi.

'You didn't zink it would be zat easy, vould you? You must be stupider zan you look!' He jeered at them. 'Now, fools, vatch as I unveal my true identi-'

He was cut off midsentence by Kara firmly planting her foot into his solar plexus winding him and quite possibly damaging his lower rib cage judging by the crack that was heard along with the "oof" uttered by the now winded auctioneer.

Kara just stared almost darkly down at the man who was now on his hands and knees trying to inhale much needed air into the lungs he was all but coughing up along with whatever was in his stomach. The day had been trying enough already and she was in no mood to play with some eccentric auctioneer.

'M-Mercy!' He wheezed hurriedly when he saw Kara raise her foot again in order to bring it down on his head. 'Please, it vas _all a joke_! A jape, a jest, zat's all! Just vanted to see your faces vhen I said zat'

The man nearly squealed in shock when a bolt of lightning shot into the floor right in front of him causing him to back away as he now stared into the glaring face of Alastor whose hand was still crackling with lightning from when he cast the spell.

'It's been a long day' Kara said turning the auctioneer's attention back to her as she stood over him once again. 'We're not in the mood for jokes'

The auctioneer bobbed his head in quick agreement as he realised that trying to fool about was liable to gain him a trip to hell and back.

'No, of course you vouldn't be' He said as he somehow managed to stand up on shaky legs and become all business. 'Fine. Ze Goddess of Lepanne, she is yours as promised. Please, take good care of her. Zat vay, I can return to my business viz a clear conscience to go viz my _broken ribs_'

'Be thankful that's all that was broken' Yulie advised having half a mind to break his nose right there and then for making them believe it was a Magi plot to stall for time not some eccentric auctioneer's idea of a joke. She was actually upset that Kara, and to some extent Alastor, got to him before she did.

The auctioneer caught what she was implying and almost gulped at what else could have been broken before bowing graciously to them and hobbled away to find the nearest healer or bar if it was closer.

Yulie exhaled through sealed lips ruffling her fringe as she let her anger simmer down before turning pointedly to Eldore who was delicately placing the firestone in its slot on the Goddess of Lepanne completing the bust and making it look once more like a valuable commodity.

'So, you'll think this'll get us a meeting with the Count?' She asked as the elder Spellcaster carefully wrapped the statue in his cloak before placing it inside the Storestone Alastor had given him.

'Let's go and find out' Leonard suggested before making his way towards the entrance to the black market.

It was only when they had passed the entrance and headed towards the station did Yulie notice one of their group going in the opposite direction.

'You're going the wrong way, Magician-boy' Yulie called out to the blue haired Spellcaster. She had been keeping a surreptitious eye on him ever since he had given her the slip earlier and had a gut feeling that he was about to attempt another disappearing act.

If Alastor was nettled by the archer spotting him he kept it hidden and instead just glanced over his shoulder at the group.

'Not if it's towards the nearest tavern, which is where I'm heading since coming with you now would probably hinder us' Alastor explained.

'Get into a spot of bother with the higher ups?' Kara asked sounding both teasing and curious at the same time obviously hoping to glean something from the Spellcaster. 'I thought someone of your calibre would have been more careful'

'I was. It was my client that got me in to trouble with the Count' Alastor elaborated which was actually true. He could remember several times he had met the Count over the mishaps of said client. 'Later'

On that note, the young Spellcaster took his leave and headed off towards the tavern that was just on the other side of the bridge support. He had barely gone round the corner before Yulie came charging after him intent on making sure he did not get up to anything suspicious.

'You're not going anywhere with…out…' She trailed off when she went round the corner to see a wide open space yet no sign of the person she was tailing as if he just disappeared into thin air. '…me?'

'Yulie, what's wrong?' Leonard asked walking over when he saw his friend stop in her tracks with a stunned look across her face. Looking across the empty grounds he suddenly found himself sharing the archer's surprise at Alastor's vanishing act and muttering only one thing. 'Cool'

'Cool? That's not cool! He just disappeared on us!' Yulie snapped not believing what her friend just said.

Leonard hastily took a step back from the purple haired archer before she started lashing out. He found himself going from marvelling at Alastor's trick to pitying him for what he was going to receive when Yulie found him later on.

'Reckon he's off to tell the enemy about our plans?' Kara asked joining the two youths.

'Don't count on it' Leonard replied without hesitation with Yulie nodding in agreement.

Whilst Alastor was a bit harsh with words and a grasp of magicks beyond probably anyone else in his generation, both Leonard and Yulie knew deep within them that the Spellcaster would not turn on them.

'He did say he was going to the nearest tavern' Eldore noted pointing to the tavern that was on the other side of the clearing. 'We'll probably find him there after we deliver the statue. We can ask him about his actions then before we go any further'

Leonard and Kara nodded in agreement leaving Yulie no choice but to go along with it.

'Fine' She huffed as she followed along after the others towards the station. 'But I get to smack him first before any questions are asked, got it?'

Had any of them looked up they would have actually seen the Spellcaster in question sticking to the roof of the bridge arch as if standing on level ground. The only person who did was a shadow who could not help but give credit to the Spellcaster for his quick thinking and skill in lore.

Watching as the Spellcaster dropped from his hiding place, the shadow waited until he had crossed the clearing and entered the tavern before detaching himself from the darkness of the alley he was spying on the group from and followed after him. If there was going to be questions asked about the blue haired Spellcaster, he wanted to be there to hear the answers. That and possibly gain some new ideas on how to torment his partner.

_**~#~#~#~**_

The Count's mansion was quite easy to find. Not only was it probably the tallest of mansions, not compared to the smoke stacks and factories, it was just opposite the gondola station from where the group first arrived.

'Let's hope the Count is a kind person' Yulie muttered under her breath so that only the rest of the group could hear her as they neared the giant wrought iron gates that lead up to the mansion in the background.

'And if he's not?' Kara asked as if she was trying to be funny although the way she said it was anything but.

'Would it kill you to show a little optimism every once in a while?' Yulie threw back.

'I'm just saying what _Magician-boy_ would have said if he were here' Kara replied smirking slightly.

Yulie just glared silently at the blonde. For some reason, Kara calling Alastor _her_ nickname for him irked her and she almost had to bite her tongue to stop herself from telling her not to call him that. Not only that but she could have sworn Kara had said that on purpose as if teasing her about something she did not know.

'Enough' Eldore grumbled loud enough for the two women to hear. This was evidently no time for the two to be bickering like sisters.

The two heeded the elder Spellcaster's warning although Yulie could have sworn she saw what looked like a small smile on Kara's face as if she had enjoyed their bickering before she schooled her expression.

By now they were at the gates and Eldore had just stepped up to one of the two wargs that were evidently doormen to the Count's mansion. Despite having seen Rapacci and other wargs in Balandor wearing suits, the uniforms these two wore would have caused Leonard and Yulie to chuckle had their purpose been anything less serious.

'Yes, what is your business?' The warg in front of Eldore asked politely despite it sounding rough coming from his lips.

'We have something the Count might be interested in, a statue he's been looking for, the Goddess of Lepanne' Eldore explained to the doorman.

Almost instantly the warg's features hardened. 'D'ya think we're gonna fall for that?'

The warg's words stunned and surprised the group.

'The Count already has that piece. In fact, he just recently acquired it' The doorman elaborated believing them to be nothing more than beggars hoping to gain some coin by handing over a fake statue.

'He couldn't have!' Leonard blurted out. They were so close to getting back on track, to getting the Princess back. This just had to be another ploy by the Magi to stall for time. 'It's a _fake_. It must be'

While Kara seemed to act indifferent to the spectacle and Eldore grimaced at the youth's choice of words, Yulie felt her mind tear in two directions. One half wanted to slap Leonard upside the head for being so blunt and rude to a person who could easily call the city-guard to take them away whereas the other half wished that Alastor were here and use his somewhat quick wit to get them through what was turning into a bad situation. Had she realised what she just thought she would not have believed it.

'Move along, please' The warg ordered clearly not believing their _act_ and wanting them away from the mansion gates before he had to call for the guard.

'Come on! Just tell him, please! Why would we lie?' Leonard challenged almost taking a step forward had Eldore's arm not been in the way.

'Trouble?'

All heads spun to the opposite side of the gate where a young man around Leonard's age stood watching them. Garbed in red and white silks and an assortment of fine jewellery, one could not help but wonder what kind of noble he was.

'Ah, Lord Caesar' The doorman said answering the question of who was the young boy. 'These folks here. They're trying to claim they have the Goddess of Lepanne'

The young Lord's eyes immediately latched onto the group looking rather interested in them all of a sudden. 'Really? They found the Goddess?'

Despite being unnerved by the look the Young Lord was giving him, Leonard nodded his head. Looking away as he thought of something, the young Lord began a quiet conversation with the doorman.

'Psst, hey! _Caesar_? As in Drisdall's_ only son and heir_?'' Yulie asked Leonard quietly as she stepped passed Eldore. She had only heard what Eldore had told her and Alastor after their little escapade the first time she went downtown. 'I don't know what the townsfolk are talking about. He looks pretty intelligent to me. Don't you think?'

Leonard did not know how to answer that. Looking over at the young Lord who was still discussing something with the doorman, all he could see was a youth with a strange sense in clothing and wore sandals of all things in a city that was literally in the middle of a mountainside. And what was the idea with his hair?

The young Lord finished his conversation with the doorman and turned his attention back onto the group.

'So hey' He called out to them causing Yulie to jump slightly as she moved back to where she was standing previously. 'Just in case, I want a look at this Goddess of Lepanne you say you've got. Please, step inside'

'"Just in case"…?' Yulie echoed in confusion as the gates opened for them.

Leonard shrugged as he followed Eldore through the wrought iron gates and into the mansion just as unsure as his friend about what was going on. After several minutes of following Caesar through the mansions lavishing halls and corridors, the group found themselves in the young Lord's bedroom.

To Leonard and Yulie, who had never before been inside a mansion let alone a noble's bedchamber, the room in question looked more like a lounge with a bed shoved in one corner. On one wall there was a large self portrait of the young Lord looking more the part of a noble than the real thing whilst against the opposite wall was a weapons rack containing several spears of different types and a long staff-like object wrapped in a dark velvet cloth.

Placing the statue on small table in the centre of the room, Eldore stood back whilst Leonard and Yulie sat down on one of the two couches surrounding the table as Caesar sat down on the other couch and carefully scrutinized the ornament.

'So _this_ is the Goddess of Lepanne, huh?' 'Caesar asked as he leaned over to one side then the other as he looked over the statue.

'Real as real can be' Yulie replied.

'Okay, but why'd you bring it here?'

'It's for Count Drisdall' Leonard explained. 'We want to ask him a favour in return'

'A favour? I don't know' Caesar frowned as he leaned back. 'Isn't bribing public officials against the law?'

'What? No! We would never…!' Yulie tried to explain but found herself coming up short until the young lord began laughing.

'Down, girl. Just joking. And I know you're statue's real'

Huffing in embarrassment as she sat down, Yulie now understood why Alastor once wanted to kill the young Lord. He could be _really_ infuriating.

'You do?' Leonard asked referring to the statue in front of them being real. 'Then what about the Count's?'

'Oh, that one's a _fake_ I threw together' Caesar shrugged nonchalantly before chuckling again. 'Yeah, if you saw 'em slobber over it…They'll kill me when they see the real one. Oh well'

Leonard could believe what he was hearing or seeing. Not only was the _Count's son_ confessing that he fooled his own father with a fake statue but was also shrugging of the inevitable flogging he was sure to receive once they had left and continued on their quest to save Cisna. The faint "huh?" coming out of Yulie's mouth as she tried to figure out the young Lord meant she was just as stumped as he was and who knows what was going through Eldore and Kara's minds as they looked upon the youth themselves.

'Alright, let's go see my old man' Said Caesar as he stood up and picked up the statue. 'Time to fess up'

'The townsfolk were right about him' Kara commented seeing nothing more than an aloof child basking in his lack of responsibility and taking advantage of his inheritance and privileges.

Eldore inclined his head in agreement. There was definitely something odd about this youth. And it had nothing to do with his family legacy.

_**~#~#~#~**_

Whilst Caesar's bedchamber was big, it was small in comparison to the Count's whose room was big enough to fit a cottage inside with room to spare. Different sized portraits adorned the wine red walls containing pictures of either Count Drisdall's late wife or the Count himself.

The real Count was currently bedridden. Despite being in his sixties, the Count had been suffering from an illness he had been plagued with for several decades now and was beginning to take its toll as the years added on. It did not help that the antics of his fool of a son seem to make it worse.

Speaking of whom, the Count slowly lifted his head upon hearing the sound of doors opening to see Caesar and several other people enter his room.

'What is it, Caesar?' He asked weakly as he struggled to sit up in bed. 'Who are these people?'

'Hey Dad. I've got some good news and a _little_ bad news' Caesar began once more sounding not at all worried about the consequences of the situation. 'Sadly your statue's a fake but the good news is these folks brought the _real __one_!'

'What? And you _knew_ about it?' The Count demanded glaring at his son as he realised what was implied. 'You lied to me _again_? How many times must I warn you-'

The berating of his son was cut short as the Count suddenly began coughing evidently working himself up because of his own son's antics once again.

'Yeah, yeah, I know, Dad. I blew it' Caesar admitted sounding like he had heard it all before and probably had. 'But come on, you've gotta learn to relax, really! I _made _the one that I gave you. Boy, did I have _you_ fooled! I thought I did a pretty good job'

'Oh my boy' It was hard to imagine why Caesar was not dead now after the look Count Drisdall gave him but his words were definitely laced with agitation at the youth's arrogance.

'Well! That's my cue to go. Be sure to thank these folks now' Caesar added casually leaning against Eldore. 'If it wasn't for them, where would you be?'

Both Leonard and Yulie could just imagine that, had they not been around when the young Lord said that, the Count may have probably thrown the first thing he could lay hands on at him be it a pillow, candelabra or, God forbid, bedpan. Either way, the Count still saw red.

'This is the last straw! I'm disowning you this time, you useless idio-' The Count's words were once again cut off by a hacking cough yet all Caesar did was wave a hand as he vacated the room leaving the Count and one of his servants with the group.

'Excuse me, but that could not have been pleasant to watch. I have just about given up on that feckless son of mine' Drisdall said after collecting himself looking rather weak and tired all of a sudden. 'Doesn't he see how little time I have left?'

The group remained silent unsure as to whether the Count was asking them or himself the last part.

'In any case, you have indeed brought me the _real_ Goddess of Lepanne. If you knew how long I have searched for this treasure…' Drisdall trailed off as he looked back on the day.

It had been years ago, in an art museum, when he had first laid eyes both on the statue and his now late wife. He could not remember the reason why he was there but from the moment he saw her, it was love at first sight. The two spent several hours talking in front of the statue over things both related and unrelated to the piece before them.

Just having the Goddess of Lepanne, which had now taken its place on the mantel where the fake had previously been, to look upon reminded Drisdall of that day and that, soon, he would be joining her again in the afterlife.

'Well, regardless, I am very much in your debt' Drisdall finally replied realising this was not the time to think about the past. 'Tell me how I might repay you. If it is within my power, I shall'

Leonard was barely able to hide the grin on his face upon noting that they were finally back on track.

'We need you to move the city to the bunker lode caverns that contain the ruins of an ancient city' Leonard said before Yulie clipped the back of his head.

'What he means, Count, if it is alright with you, we would like you to move Greede to the caverns our young friend here described' Eldore asked politely. 'We are currently after a group that has taken something of great value to us yet have no means to follow them other than to ask you'

'I see' The Count nodded knowing that all was not being said yet was enough for him to grasp the situation. He gestured for his servant to bring over his writing board.

'As you know, the mining season has ended, so I decided to give Amir some vacation time. He's the Demithor's handler, you see' Drisdall explained as he began to scribble a quick note on a sheet of parchment. 'I suspect that he is spending his holiday somewhere in the city, but I have no idea where, I'm afraid'

Leonard did not know what to be more surprised at: that the great colossus which carried this city had only _one_ handler or that they still had more to do before finally getting back on track.

Finished writing the letter, the Count folded the parchment and handed it over to Leonard.

'You'll have to find Amir yourselves, if that's all right, and give him this message from me' He told them. 'He is _very_ committed, so once he reads it, I'm sure he will lend you a hand'

Bowing in gratitude before quietly leaving the room, the servant made to take away the writing board after seeing them out of the room only to be denied.

'No, not yet' Drisdall said as he motioned for the servant to leave the room as well for the time being before putting quill to parchment once again. There was still one more letter to be written.

_**~#~#~#~**_

If the group was hoping to leave quietly, it was dashed the moment they stepped out of the Count's room and ran into Caesar again. Motioning them to follow him, the young Lord lead them to his room before he began speaking.

'So you have to find Amir, huh?' He asked good-naturedly indicating he had been eaves dropping on their conversation with the Count. 'Then your best bet would be tavern in the downtown district. _Under the bar_, knowing Amir'

'Got it' Leonard thanked him they were heading that way anyway to pick up Alastor so this saved them a trip.

'Actually' Caesar quickly spoke again before any of them could leave the room. 'I have a little favour to ask. I was, um, hoping to_ tag along_'

Whilst Leonard and Yulie were surprised at the favour, Kara seemed nonplussed as if expecting the young Lord to say that the moment they arrived in his room. Eldore however seemed to be pondering something as he stared at the youth.

'Dad kind of kicked me out of the house' The young lord explained indeed sounding a bit sad about it as if finally realising he had went too far this time. 'Come on, I could use the company'

'That makes one of us, then' Kara muttered believing the whole situation was humorous how this youth had almost cost them their chance to gain audience with the Count and was now asking them to take him with them.

'Why not? Come along with us if you like' Eldore offered causing the other three members of his group to stare at him in shock.

'Seriously?' Caesar asked almost not believing what he heard himself. 'Thanks, friendly old man whose name I don't know!'

Had this been any other time, it might have been funny how the young Lord addressed Eldore. But that was not the topic of interest at the moment.

'What are you doing?' Kara whispered furiously in Eldore's ear.

'Doesn't he strike you as a curious fellow?' He replied as he watched their new comrade shake Leonard's hand rather enthusiastically.

'Why? Kara asked seeing nothing more than a spoiled brat who was liable to get on the wrong side of her sword within the hour.

'Didn't you notice?' Eldore said as he looked back on when they were back in the Count's bedchamber and looking at the fake statue. They hardly looked similar to one another but there was one key fact Eldore noticed about it. 'The gems in that fake Goddess' eyes were _real firestones_. He's no ordinary fool. Otherwise, how would he have gotten those stones?'

Yulie and Kara glanced at the weapon rack then the young lord before looking back at Eldore upon realising that, whilst they practically spilt blood trying to get one stone, Caesar went above and beyond them and not only got _two_ firestones but probably spent days on end putting together that fake statue. Not something one would expect from a youth who lived of his inheritance.

'I don't know if he'll be any good in a fight' Yulie began after mulling things over. 'But he's definitely got a big heart. That has to count as something, right?'

'What he has is a _big mouth_' Kara said suddenly gaining an understanding of what Eldore probably felt like when Leonard asked her to come along with them.

Yulie could not help but agree as she watched Caesar, still wringing out Leonard's hand, talk to him about what he was wearing and if he wanted to swap with him. She did not know whether to smile or frown as she realised there was still someone else they had to introduce their new comrade to which was sure to be interesting to watch.

'Reckon it'll be asking too much for Alastor _not_ to kill him on sight?' She asked them.

'Who?' Caesar asked sounding interested as he finally released Leonard's hand.

'Alastor. He's a Spellcaster who's been helping us since the Magi first kidnapped the Princess' Leonard told him as he massaged his sore wrist.

'Just don't let his face intimidate you' Yulie advised grinning slightly at the sight of Caesar looking nervous around someone who could literally blast him into the next month. 'He's actually-'

'Okay when you get to know him' Caesar finished causing the others to look at him in surprise.

'Have you met him before?' Leonard asked.

'Met him?' Caesar replied chuckling at how wrong his new friend was. 'He used to _work for me_'

He was met by surprised and slightly shocked faces at his news and he could not really blame them.

'Yeah, I know, it's shocking, isn't it? Little old me being in the protection of the _Dark Magician_ of all people'

'WHAT?'

Everyone, including Caesar, jumped when Yulie exclaimed loud enough to probably startle the birds outside.

'Oops. Was I not supposed to tell you that?' Caesar asked not at all nervous and sounding more like he was talking about the weather as he scratched the back of his head.

_**~#~#~#~**_

Alastor barely managed to move his tankard out the way before sneezing violently.

'Someone must be thinking about you' said the patron to his left as he sat down at the bar beside him and signalled for the bartender.

'What makes you say that?' Alastor asked as he cast a wary eye over the cloaked man unable to see his face due to the dark clothe that enshrouded him.

'Well, you hardly look like someone who catches colds' The man pointed out taking a sip of his drink. 'Heck, I doubt you could catch anything: diseases, bugs, females and, heh-heh, _fire lizards_'

Despite knowing that he was being insulted, Alastor tensed slightly. There was something about this cloaked individual that gave him the distinct impression he knew more than he was letting up.

'You missed out males' He pointed out nonchalantly seeing if it would throw the cloaked man off his game.

'Oh! You're like me?'

Not expecting the quick retort, Alastor spat out the mouthful of beer he had been about to drink. He was supposed to be the one catching the other off guard yet somehow _he_ was thrown for the loop.

'If you really must know, I like women and to answer your first suggestion there is someone thinking about me!' He growled. It was partially true; there was someone thinking about him just not in the way this cloaked person was suggesting.

'The spunky girl with short purple hair, huh? Ain't she a little young for you?'

Alastor had had enough. It was bad enough what the guy was insinuating, but to actually describe Yulie perfectly meant that he was either part of the Magi or a separate group that was keeping an eye on them. That, and he was really getting on his nerves. Either way, enough was enough.

'I don't know who you are, Mister, but if you want to see another day then I suggest you either tell me all you know or just leave now and don't let me catch you sneaking around me or my friends again' Alastor declared glaring daggers at the cloaked man. 'If you do both, I might be lenient the next time we unfortunately meet'

'Oh yes, I'll just tell you all I know then run off with my tail between my legs' The cloaked man said his words oozing with sarcasm as he turned and gazed coolly at Alastor dark amber eyes showing not a hint of fear. 'Do you really think you can beat me?'

'I think you got that backwards' The blue haired Spellcaster countered smirking at the thought of an upstart thinking he could beat him.

The entire tavern had gone quiet as they watched the spectacle unfold. Whilst bar fights were common downtown, the blue haired Spellcaster was partially known here for working for Count Drisdall as a bodyguard which meant he had to have some skill to gain the job.

After several tense moments the cloaked man finally broke the standoff and laughed out loud.

'Yeah, you might be right about that' He agreed before standing up and making for the door tossing a small pouch full of coin onto the bar as he went. 'Maybe next time'

'Hmph, don't count on it' Alastor snorted as he turned back to his drink listening to the sound of the door open as the cloaked man stepped outside and out of sight but unfortunately not out of mind.

**_~#~#~#~_**

_Figured I'd save this little note for the end instead of putting it up top. I have decided to cut the length of my chapters of this fic in half for three good reasons._

_One: It takes up less time & allows me to throw out new stories & updates more frequently (I hope)_

_Two: It stops me from coming up with writers block as I figure out how to type it_

_Three: Adds more suspense & keeps you guessing longer than just scrolling down to see what happens_

_I might try & cut up the first four chapters into more bite size pieces but I've got too much to do right now so, until next time_

_Watch this space & peace out!_


	6. Labyrinths & Magicians

_Disclaimers on chapter 1_

_I was thinking of dubbing the chapter "Labyrinths, Magicans & Spiders" but that was a bit too much._

_Enjoy!_

**~#~#~#~**

It was hard to pinpoint what was more surprising to the group: that Alastor used to work _inside_ the Count's mansion and could have probably given them a free pass to the Count and save them from their wild goose chase through the Flanders or that he was one of the Chaos Legion's greatest soldiers.

'How do we know you're telling the truth and not just spouting nonsense?' Kara challenged clearly not believing the part about the blue haired Spellcaster being a war legend.

Caesar just smiled innocently as he looked not too subtly at his weapons rack particularly at the covered staff on the top shelf. Curious as to why he was all but pointing towards it, Leonard walked up to the rack all the while wondering what was hidden in the black velvet cloth.

Cautiously lifting the clothed rod off its shelf, Leonard instantly noticed that whatever was wrapped up in the cloth must be quite powerful as his hands were already tingling by the item's pulse literally humming through them. Feeling a small bubble of excitement build up at the possibility at what he might be holding, Leonard carefully pulled the cloth off the top of the staff to see a translucent silver orb half buried at an angle into the top of the jet black staff.

'This is…' Leonard gasped as he made to grasp hold of the staff.

'I wouldn't do that if I were you' Caesar advised but was too late.

Upon touching the staff, a loud crack could be heard instantly followed by a startled yelp as Leonard suddenly found himself catapulted to the other side of the room narrowly missing Eldore and Yulie. Despite being practically thrown across the room to land in a heap, Leonard quickly got up and stared at the staff that was now on the floor.

'Now why would I have the Dark Magician's staff if he never worked for me?' Caesar asked good-naturedly.

Everyone, including Kara, was silent as they stared at the weapon lying almost innocently on the floor. Unlike other magic staffs, the staff of the Dark Magician was unique due to the fact that only _he_ could wield it whilst all others who attempted to even touch it would experience what happened to Leonard. Many believed that it took an incredible amount of power to withstand it's repel aura hence becoming one of the reasons why the Dark Magician was revelled as one of the most powerful Spellcasters in existence.

'I'm going to kill him' Yulie growled not caring that her nails were digging into her palms as she clenched her fists in unbridled fury.

'I'm guessing that he didn't tell you any of that, huh?' Caesar asked looking more like he was enjoying himself rather than fearing for a former servant of his.

'What was your first clue?' Kara asked in equal measures of sarcasm at the young Lord's question as well as anger and surprise at who she had been travelling with all this time.

'He did say he was in the war against Faria' Leonard admitted. 'But, only Yulie seemed to believe that Alastor was…'

'And he actually had the nerve to lie to me!' Yulie fumed not realising that she sounded both angry and upset for some odd reason.

'At least this explains why he was beginning to act strangely upon coming here' Eldore pointed out although there were now more questions that needed answering from the younger Spellcaster when they saw him.

'Yeah, I might be part of the reason as to why he doesn't like being in Greede' Caesar admitted scratching his head in embarrassment. 'See, I kinda gave him some rather embarrassing jobs to do plus a couple of wild goose chases during his time working for me. Not to mention he took some serious heat from my old man for me a few occasions as well'

'I'm amazed he let you live' Kara remarked indeed amazed that this spoiled brat had put a legend through some embarrassing moments and lived to tell the tale.

'Well I'm not going to be so lenient' Yulie stated as she picked up the staff by its clothed section and stomped off towards the door. 'When I'm through with him, Magician-boy will be begging the Gods for his miserable life to end'

'Yulie, wait' Leonard called out just the enraged girl reached the door.

Despite complying, Yulie swore that if her best friend was about to go on some tirade on how they needed Alastor to save the Princess then Gods help him. 'What, Leonard?'

'I know you have a bone to pick with Alastor about why he lied to us about who he is, but he must have had a reason to' Leonard pointed out. 'Shouldn't we at least give him a chance to explain himself?'

'I was planning on _making him_ explain himself' Yulie growled and it did not take a genius to figure out her method. She was already going over the best ways to hurt him without either knocking him out or, better yet, killing him whilst still inflicting mass amounts of pain and torture.

'Can't you just bring it down to a hard punch for now?' He almost pleaded knowing full well how frightening his best friend became when she was truly mad. 'The last thing we need is for Alastor to join the Magi if just to avoid being beaten to death'

Yulie could not believe what she was hearing. Scratch that, she could not _understand_ what she was hearing. True she could fly off the handle at times, but never before had someone defected just to feel safer from her. On that subject, would it not make one's punishment worse to do that? Knowing that she was going to regret this later on, Yulie decided to let the matter drop if, at least, to avoid a headache from her best friend's explanations.

'Fine, I won't lay a hand on him' She swore barely audible as she hung her head.

'So, is it safe to say we're going to find our comrade now?' Caesar asked breaking the ice with an innocent question.

'Why not, it's about time he explained himself' Kara agreed voicing what the others were thinking.

'Then let's get going then' The young Lord suggested picking up one of the spears on the rack and twirled it expertly several times before hooking it onto the back of his jacket which seemed to have been tailored with a built in spear holster as it hung naturally instead of tugging it down.

Following behind the blonde swordswoman whose name he had still to find out, Caesar allowed his eyes to wander over her figure as he tried to figure her out. There was no doubt in his mind that she fought as good as she looked and, judging by her earlier remarks, had a tongue just as sharp. After spending several years _sampling_ some of the women of Greede and finding himself becoming bored seeing the same kind of woman day after day, this blonde was definitely intriguing him.

There was also the purple haired archer Yulie. She reminded him of a fiery red head he once met briefly who had a rather short fuse and was rather snobbish. Yulie on the other hand seemed to be cheerful and high spirited and only became short tempered under the right circumstances like finding out her new friend happened to be a former legend. From what he had just witnessed, the girl looked like she at least had feelings for the boy around his age, Leonard if he heard right, but was not sure about it. There was only one way to find out.

'So, Yulie' He called out jogging slightly to catch up to her as they left the mansion and headed towards the station. 'How long have you and Leonard…?'

He left the question hanging, seeing no reason to finish in hopes of watching her turn red at the implications. He was not disappointed when the girl not only went red but also wide eyed and speechless at his question.

Yulie, for her part, freaked out. Whilst many of their friends in Balandor and Parma often assumed that they were more than friends and even sais so to them, something Leonard was oblivious to, this had to have been the first person to ever voice the question of if her and Leonard were a couple. Yet she was unable to come up with a response as her tongue had decided to tie itself up.

'We're just friends' Leonard could be heard saying over her incoherent spluttering.

If hearts were depicted as those fragile ornaments glassmakers crafted, then Yulie's had just been shattered into a million pieces and scattered to the winds. Those three words, spoken casually as if people asked him that so often that it was an automatic response, had cut her deeper than any sword or knife wound would ever reach and would likely never heal for a long time to come. This was the reason why Alastor had advised her to move on before it was too late.

Caesar inwardly winced at the damage he had inadvertently caused yet at the same time marvelled that Yulie managed to look like it did not affect her and even nod in agreement in what Leonard said. Deciding the best thing for now was to change the subject, the young Lord voiced his next question.

'So, now that we're gonna be working together, what're your names?'

_**~#~#~#~**_

Although he would probably deny it, Alastor was bored and tired of waiting for them to arrive. He had been sitting at the bar nurturing the same tankard he had ordered when he first entered the tavern hoping it would calm his nerves after coming so close to seeing the young Lord who had given him a taste of normal life as well as countless headaches among other things during his three years of work as a bodyguard.

Instead of wondering why they were taking so long, having deducted that the others were probably trying to make sure Yulie did not try to kill him, the young Spellcaster found himself caught up in a heated argument between two brothers. Although, to be more precise, it was rather one brother trying to find out how his twin managed to get one of the barmaids to go out with him whilst he was stuck on his own.

'I mean, look at me! I'm strong, handsome and way more skilled with a blade than he is' He explained quickly giving a demonstration of his skill with a greatsword, and nearly decapitating Alastor had he not leaned back, before plunging the tip into the floor as he pointed at his brother who was sitting quietly nursing the pint the barmaid had just handed to him with a sweet smile. 'So how come she chooses _him_!'

'Perhaps because he keeps to himself and doesn't want to show off the skills he learned to fend off monsters and bandits every time he enters the pub' Alastor suggested staring pointedly at the jealous brother. 'They do say that a warrior who keeps his sword sheathed outside of battle is the truest kind'

His words caused the jealous twin to stagger back as if slapped. Recovering quickly, and even managing to smile as if unaffected, the twin removed his sword from the tavern floor and replace it on his back before walking over to his twin and tapping him on the shoulder to grab his attention.

'C'mon, Cecil, we've a job to do, remember?' He said sounding eager all of a sudden.

'_We_?' The lad called Cecil repeated clearly surprised.

'Yeah, 'cause you'll be doing most of the fighting to brush up your skills whilst I watch your back to make sure you stay alive long enough to give me some pointers on how to get a girl' The apparently no longer jealous twin explained somehow managing to get his brother to stand up then drag him off with that one hand on his shoulder barely leaving Cecil enough time to grab his own greatsword before vacating the tavern.

Alastor shook his head as if trying to forget what he had just experienced.

'How do you put up with them, Cal?' He asked the barmaid as she took away his empty tankard.

'You just get used to Dorian's antics after a while' Cal replied resting her elbows on the bar as she talked to a patron she had not seen for a while.

'Especially if you've finally confessed your feelings to his brother' Alastor added catching the dreamy look that had appeared on her face. 'Took you long enough. Both of you, in fact'

Despite blushing at being caught out, Cal stuck her tongue out at Alastor before busying herself with wiping down the bar.

'So when are _you_ going to get a girl, Al?' She asked after a while.

'I really doubt someone could put up with the likes of me, Cal' Alastor pointed out.

'What about that girl you mentioned to that stranger earlier? You know the one with short purple hair?'

Alastor frowned and looked up at the barmaid to notice she was looking from him to the door with a worried look on her face. Realising what was about to happen, the blue haired Spellcaster spun round on his barstool just in time to grab a familiar black staff as it was about to come down on his head.

'Shoot' He grumbled as he looked from his staff to his attacker who had held the staff near the bottom where it was still covered by the cloth.

'Personally, I'd rather slap or punch you until it wasn't just your hair that was blue' Yulie confessed glaring daggers at him. 'Fortunately for you, Leonard managed to make me swear not to lay a hand on you'

Alastor was sure she would not have listened to her best friend at all had she not still had feelings for him. He also noticed that her eyes seemed to shimmer slightly as if full of tears she was forbidding release due probably something that happened recently between the two.

'Guess I should count myself lucky' Alastor said as he swatted the staff away from him and stood up only to have Yulie step right in front of him.

'Just don't lie to me again the next time I'm right about something' She advised apparently not bothered about how close they were.

'I never did. I just changed the subject or suggested another way I knew those spells' Alastor replied grimacing slightly.

'Just don't do it again, okay?' Yulie stated more than asked before shoving the Spellcaster's staff into his chest then stepping back allowing him to sit down on his stool and heal his probably broken foot.

Yulie had promise that she was not going to lay a _hand_ on him. That did not mean she could not lay a _foot_ on him.

'Isn't this the part where you tell them you're sorry for not being truthful with them?' Caesar asked curiously not at all fazed by the glare Alastor sent his way.

'Why are _you_ here?' Alastor asked quelling the urge to hex him into a thousand pieces.

'We're here to find little old Amir' The young lord explained. 'After seeing how Yulie would react seeing you after knowing who you are, obviously. Damn, that was impressive'

Alastor did not know what to make of that last comment other than a compliment for Yulie's loophole in her promise _not_ to attack him. When the young Lord did not explain why he was with them, Alastor figured Count Drisdall must be angry at him about something which which was no surprise to him. As for what he said.

'Amir's here?' He asked slightly surprised before taking a quick look round the tavern and spotting a pair of copper coloured papitaur ears sticking up above the bar just beyond the corner.

The ears twitched as his name was spoken then moved round the corner of the bar to let the group see a well-dressed papitaur wearing circular glasses looking at them curiously.

'Can I help you with something?' He asked.

'Hey, Amir' Caesar greeted as if meeting an old friend as he sat down on the barstool beside him. 'These folks here are in need of your expertise'

Amir practically jumped to attention upon noticing the young Lord. Before he could ask what the folk Caesar was indicating required of him, Leonard handed him the letter from Count Drisdall. The papitaur read through the parchment quickly before once again jumping to attention in front of the group.

'Gentlemen, I am at your service. I would be happy to move the Demithor' He proudly declared. It seemed that the Count was right when he said Amir was very committed that and very eager too.

'Great, thanks' Leonard said practically just as cheerful now that they were back on track again. Until he noticed the papitaur's ears droop slightly.

'One eensy problem. I cannot do it on my own' Amir said trying to make it sound simple. 'We need to pass through the corridors of Greede's Underbelly to reach the Demithor's head'

In order to control the Demithor, its master had to be as close to its head as possible as to give out instructions. In order to do so, a unique passage had to be made that routed through the inner workings of the city. Unfortunately, the mass of rarely used corridors and chambers filled themselves with creatures that had either managed to crawl up the limbs of the Demithor or had somehow made its way inside whilst in larva, plant or egg form before growing and spawning more of its kind turning the underground chambers into a veritable monster layer.

Because of this, one week before the mining season starts, a group of guild hunters was hired and tasked with clearing out the monsters from the specific corridors that led to the Demithor's head. Early attempts did try to purge the whole of the Underbelly but were proven fruitless as there were too many corridors. Some of which had not seen use for decades even.

'Looks like you'll have to postpone your reunion, Leonard' Alastor said to the youth. 'There's bound to be a lot of work to do yet'

Amir bobbed his head furiously in agreement. 'He's right; no one clears out the monsters this time of year. Big, _deadly_ monsters!'

Leonard and the others were hardly fazed. After all they had been through and what they had seen, ranging from vespids and spidersprogs to twenty feet tall treants, trolls and Knights, this was sure to be a walk in the park.

'No worries. Like I'd let my pal Amir get hurt!' Caesar said cheerfully turning round on his stool to gaze down at the papitaur confidently. 'I'll be right there to watch your back. They pick on you at their own risk'

It was unsure whether Amir heard what the young Lord had said or not. The moment Caesar had called him his pal, the papitaur broke into tears of happiness as he declared today being the happiest day of his life. If he was not committed before, he definitely was now.

'This will be a _long_ day' Kara groaned as she turned her back on the sappy spectacle before her.

Alastor whole heartedly agreed with her. The only quick days he had when working under the young Lord were his days off.

'To get to the Underbelly, we'll need to use the downtown entrance not far from here' Amir told them after finally managing to collect himself. 'Once we're there, gentlemen, I'll show you the way'

'You heard him! Amir's in charge now' Said Caesar as he stood up behind the papitaur sounding like he was second in command. 'Move out!'

'Not just yet' Eldore interrupted causing Amir, Caesar and Leonard to stop in their tracks towards the door. 'We still have another matter to discuss'

That last bit was targeted at Alastor whom the elder Spellcaster was now staring at intently. 'I believe you have some explaining to do. Right, Dark Magician?'

Alastor scowled at the name he had earned from his first few days fighting in the war against Faria. Whilst he did not mind hearing the odd rumour about him flitting through the winds every now and again about his achievements, as well as the constant nagging by Yulie when she tried to make him confess over the last few days, to be actually called that in present tense brought a sour taste to his mouth.

'Why didn't you tell us about working in Greede?' Leonard asked stepping up to the still sitting Spellcaster as his brow creased in a frown. 'If you told us about working for the Count, we could have avoided all of this and maybe even have saved Cisna already'

He had a valid point. Due to his former place under the young Lord, Alastor could have easily just walked up to the mansion and asked Count Drisdall to move Greede as a favour for his past services or could have even just tracked down Amir and ask him to move the Demithor if he got rid of the monsters for him. So why did he keep it under his tunic all this time?

'Maybe I'll tell you when you stop being so single-minded' Alastor retorted causing the girls to quietly snort as they understood what he meant. 'But if it'll stop you from breathing down my back. That title didn't sit well with me and I buried it when we disbanded due to the peace treaties'

'Well…can you at least put your staff to good use for us?' Yulie asked slightly more forgiving of the blue haired Spellcaster after his somewhat blunt comment at Leonard's tunnel vision for the Princess.

'Yeah, C'mon, Al' Caesar chipped in. 'No point letting good skills go to waste'

Alastor sighed as he now stared at his prized weapon he had left with Caesar before parting ways over a year ago. He did not want to wield it due to reasons only he knew. Yet there was clearly something approaching that would one day require every edge one could gather.

'I suppose I should see if I'm not as rusty as I think I am' He conceded pulling off the remains of the cloth and allowing his staff to fully see the light of day again. 'But I'm only gonna focus on spirit and divine lore for now, okay?'

_**~#~#~#~**_

The golden dunes of the Lagnish desert seemed to stretch on forever from what he could see and it did not help that the sun was unwavering in its relentless attack down on his tired body. Despite this, Cyrus continued to lead his weary group forward towards the city of Albana knowing full well that to stop now was foolish and suicidal.

_**~#~#~#~**_

There were many entrances down into the Underbelly of Greede due to maintenance as well as to reach the Demithor's head when mining season began. The closest one to the group just happened to be a few streets away.

After quickly confirming with the guard manning the entrance, Caesar lead the group down a long flight of stairs towards one of the main chambers of the Underbelly.

'These halls'll take us right out…next to the Demithor's head' Caesar told them as if making small talk. 'You know, I hear the monsters are _extra nasty_ this time of year. Should make for a fun trip'

'What's fun about it?' Yulie huffed in irritation.

'Well...' Caesar paused at the bottom of the stairs and turned towards Yulie. 'We won't get bored, will we?'

'Just ignore him if he starts flirting' Alastor advised as he walked passed them. 'He's all mouth no trousers'

'Oh that's rich coming from someone who would've been swallowed by a direspider had this "all mouth no trousers" guy not stepped in' Caesar rebuked sounding slightly offended.

'If you did not go careering into the Underbelly after those two kids, despite it being one of your more noble moments, I wouldn't've had to' Alastor countered remembering the young Lord before him practically rushing into the Underbelly when he heard about the two young boys who had dared each other to go in.

Barely stopping to buy a weapon at the nearest blacksmith, Caesar practically charged head first after them only to find himself in the middle of a spider nest. Had it not been for Alastor's timely arrival, Count Drisdall would have been searching for a new heir to the Drisdall line lest he hand over his title to one of his rivals.

'Did you say direspiders?'

Both the young Lord and former guard turned to look at Yulie who, if upon closer inspection, was a slight shade paler for some reason.

'Yeah, they're just grown up spidersprogs' Caesar explained.

'I think Yulie and I've seen one before' Leonard recalled looking back on his days wandering the plains with his best friend whenever he was not working. 'It must have been about ten feet tall.

'Don't remind me' Yulie muttered shivering at the memory.

Like Caesar had said, direspiders were basically large grown up spidersprogs. Several years ago, Leonard and Yulie had found a new cave they had yet to explore only to find it was a spider lair. Whilst Leonard said they had seen one, Yulie clearly remembered seeing several ten foot spiders with a hungry look in their eyes causing the two youths to run like the wind before they became spider food.

'Ten feet?' Caesar asked in disbelief before snorting humorously. 'That's a teenage spider compared to these boys'

'If we're just going through some recently cleared passage ways, I highly doubt we'll see these oversized insects' Kara pointed out.

'Yeah, she's right' Yulie chipped in optimistically. 'Even if they're already there, spidersprogs don't grow up that quickly. Right?'

She had a point; on average, it took around four to six months for spidersprogs to grow into full-fledged direspiders. With the mining season ending over a month ago, spidersprogs should only be around a foot tall and one and a half times as wide.

'Um…Young masters, I should mention one teensy problem' Amir spoke up nervously. 'Some of the gates in the Underbelly are locked by various devices'

It was a given that Greede's underbelly was too large, almost an underground city, to be patrolled in case of people wishing to smuggle items or just plain hideout as well as the continuous increase in monsters roaming around. To combat this, when being constructed, gates were built with lever switch locks that were situated in different places to insure that thieves and smugglers could not venture far and monsters could not reach the surface.

Whilst it worked in general, some monsters often tend to use the switch rooms as their lairs becoming the reason why guild hunter parties were formed to protect Amir as he made his way to the Demithor's head. Once they left, new monsters or offspring would take over the lair and feast on the carcasses. It was troublesome but profitable for all involved; monster and hunter.

'Looks like we may end up seeing one after all' Eldore mused gripping the handle of his longsword.

'Great' Yulie whined clearly not liking the situation one bit.

'If it'll make you feel better' Caesar said placing a comforting arm around the girl's shoulders. 'I can keep close by'

Yulie looked from the hand that was on one shoulder before looking at Caesar. 'The last person who put their arm round me like that _could not_ use it _ever again_ afterwards'

Caesar immediately pulled his arm away as if burned. Turning towards Kara, as if to try the same thing with her, Caesar cut himself off at the pass when he saw the blonde reach almost casually for her rapier with a look in her eyes that clearly said "don't bother, I'll do the same". These two women he was with sure were different from the usual skirts he played with. Now he just had to figure out which to go after.

'Shall we a move on, then?' Alastor asked before pushing open the huge iron doors that led into a massive hall where a two trolls, one atop the other's shoulders, could fit easily.

The moment the doors had opened, a number of spidersprogs emerged from seemingly out of nowhere to assail the group.

'Right off the bat, eh?' Caesar noted good-naturedly drawing his spear and extended it to its full length with just a flick of the wrist. The next second, the young Lord darted forward and skewered a spidersprog clean through before it could act.

Flinging the monster off his spear with a quick flourish, Caesar made to strike another only to find the rest had been either cut in half or burnt to a crisp.

'Aw, c'mon! That's it?' He whined childishly.

'We're here to get the Demithor to move, not for your entertainment' Eldore pointed out not bothering to sheathe his longsword in case of surprise attacks from future encounters.

'This way, gentlemen' Amir called out from beside another door on the far side of the hall.

Whilst there were not as many corridors as one would assume there would be in the Underbelly, it was sometimes far from easy to navigate. If it were not for Amir, the group would have become lost within minutes as they went through corridors with pipes poking out one wall and disappearing into another and halls with steel mesh floors or walls allowing them to see the huge cogs, pipes and other machinery that powered Greede.

It was only after finding the switch that would open up the central hub where the elevator shaft was located and entering the chamber before it, did they encounter anything bigger than a sprog or lizard. Towering at around twenty feet and looking more like several clumps of moss covered earth, two golems stood before the group with one already charging towards them.

'I'll handle this' Leonard declared preparing to transform only to stare in disbelief as the charging golem was sent flying backwards when struck by a fireball and breaking up upon hitting the far wall.

Staring at Alastor, who was now resting the head of his staff on his shoulder, the Spellcaster just pointed at the other golem that was now charging towards them seeing that its brethren had been defeated. Realising he was just standing there Leonard quickly transformed and dealt with the remaining golem cleaving it in two after a brief struggle.

'So that's a Knight, huh?' Caesar remarked having been told the bare necessities about their quest, basically Leonard telling him about rescuing a princess with the help of a huge suit of armour, and curious about seeing the Knight in action. 'Wouldn't mind having one of them'

'Good luck finding one' Kara remarked finding the notion of the young Lord roaming the land searching for his own Knight humorous and impossible.

'Thanks, I'll probably need it' Caesar replied believing she meant it causing Kara to growl quietly at his obliviousness.

'Where to next?' Leonard asked as they stepped into the next room that seemed to go in three directions from where they were standing barring the door behind them. In the centre of the room, in the recess of a large column, was another switch.

'We need to drop down the two of the three hatches on this floor to get to the next floor to get to the next switches: the one on the right to open the door to the main switch room and the one on the left to unlock the main gate to the Demithor's head' Amir explained.

'Can't we just go down one hatch, flip the switch and just go to the next without coming back up here?' Yulie asked sounding confused.

Amir shook his head. 'The doors between the two rooms are one-way only, miss'

'Sounds complicated' Leonard said.

'And that is why no one ever tries to hijack the Demithor' Caesar pointed out.

'We could make it easier by splitting up and doing both' Alastor suggested figuring the less time they spend going back and forth the quicker they get finished.

'You mean like one group goes through the first hatch to unlock one door whilst the other goes through the second and holds the one way door open for the others to come join us?' Yulie asked curiously.

'Something along those lines' Alastor admitted. 'The question is who goes with whom?'

'I'll take Amir and go to through the first hatch' Kara said before anyone else could speak up. 'We'll meet up with the rest of you downstairs'

'Wouldn't it be better if someone like _me_ went with you?' Caesar asked evidently wanting to try and get to know Kara better.

'That's exactly _why_ I'm going with Amir' Kara replied before walking off with the papitaur.

Caesar stared at the retreating form of Kara with his head tilted in confusion before turning to Alastor.

'Is it my breath?' He asked.

'That and the rest of you' The Spellcaster replied.

'Oh, okay'

'Is he always like this?' Yulie whispered to Alastor as the group made their way towards the hatch they had to go down.

'A few sandwiches short of a picnic? Seems like it' Alastor said as the two slowed their pace until they were a few steps behind so that Caesar couldn't hear. 'In the time I've worked under him, I haven't been able to really understand him. It's like he just does things on a whim'

'And infuriate you in the process' The archer added teasingly.

'Don't remind me' Alastor grunted before shutting up as the group reached the hatch.

The hatch was basically a two by two metre square hole in the middle of the floor. The drop was not very far but there was another hatch directly below the one. Although it was closed, it did not stop someone from worrying about what might happen if it were to suddenly open.

As it turned out, the hatch did not budge an inch as Leonard, Eldore, Caesar and Yulie jumped down one after the other. That's when it all changed. Whilst Alastor was still dropping down, the hatch beneath him suddenly opened causing the Spellcaster to plummet an extra fifteen odd feet before landing roughly on the lower levels. Before he could recover from the drop, Alastor felt something fall on top of him nearly knocking him unconscious as his head collided with the stone floor.

'Next time, fall on someone else' He groaned as the weight left his back allowing him to see Yulie as she knelt down beside him. The archer still had one foot on the hatch when it opened and had finally lost her balance after Alastor had dropped passed her.

'You guys okay?' Leonard called down to them.

'We're fine. Well…mostly' Yulie corrected seeing as only one of them took the brunt of the impact.

'Do you reckon you can find your way to the elevator shaft by yourselves?' Caesar asked.

Before either of the two could reply, the hatch suddenly closed itself leaving the two groups separated.

'Guess that answers that question' Caesar commented whilst Leonard cautiously stood on the hatch to see if it would open again.

'They'll be alright' Eldore assured them. 'We'll just have to press on for now meet up with them later'

Seeing as they had no other choice, Leonard and Caesar followed after the elder Spellcaster. As they headed towards the rendezvous point, the same question burned brightly in each of their minds: what or who caused the hatch open and why?

_**~#~#~#~**_

'This is another fine mess we could've avoided had you just told us who you are' Yulie grumbled sourly as Alastor and herself attempted to find the elevator shaft. 'And don't you dare say we never asked because I clearly remember saying so back in Greydall plain'

Alastor attempted to block out the girl's voice but with her right beside him and nothing else around to keep him distracted, it proved to be rather hard. Opening the door at the end of the corridor, the two found themselves in a large hall that had seen little use for quite a while judging by all the moss and decay. One of the stone pillars had crumbed halfway up to reveal the rusting steal frame at its centre.

Upon reaching the centre of the hall, the pair immediately stopped as they heard the sound of approaching monsters. Seconds later, numerous blue and yellow spidersprogs were appearing from seemingly every pore in the area.

'Looks like we just stumbled into their nest' Alastor noted as the two went back to back as the swarm surrounded them.

'Think they'll invite us to dinner?' Yulie asked her voice wavering slightly at the number of sprogs circling around the pair.

'I think they just invited themselves' The Spellcaster replied before reaching behind him and clasping hold of Yulie's quiver.

'Not exactly the best of times to try and cop a feel, Magician-boy' Yulie remarked unsure of what Alastor was doing.

'I was actually putting a recall spell on your quiver to save you from running around collecting arrows after you run out' Alastor explained his eyebrow twitching in irritation. 'Didn't think you'd want me saving your ass again'

Yulie would have made a witty comeback had the spidersprogs suddenly decided to throw themselves at them. Casting a self-taught acceleration spell on herself, Yulie let her bow sing out as she launched a volley of explosion arrows into the frontlines sending sprogs flying in the blasts. Swinging his staff in a horizontal arc, Alastor sent the ones attacking him back the way they came with a strong blast of wind before casting an ice spell that sent them shattering off the far wall.

Despite practically blowing away the first wave, the remaining sprogs continued to assail them. Alastor batted several away from him with his staff before stabbing it into the ground creating an area of stone spikes five feet tall behind Yulie protecting her as she took care of several sprogs that were about to pounce on him from above.

All too soon, the battle had ended leaving Alastor and Yulie amidst a litter of spidersprog carcasses that had been burned, frozen or skewered.

'Guess I'm not as rusty as I thought' Alastor mused as he got his breath back. 'You did quite well yourself, Yulie'

Looking round when he did not receive a reply or at least some snappy remark from her, Alastor spotted the girl in question standing as if frozen whilst staring at something over his right shoulder in wide eyed terror. Turning to the direction Yulie was facing, Alastor looked up to see a direspider clinging to ceiling.

'Well aren't you a big one' He commented estimating it to be around fifteen feet tall with its diameter to be nearly twice that.

Yulie remained rooted to the spot as she stared at the huge spider before her. Her body began shaking as she remembered vividly the day she had been trapped in a cave all those years ago when she was just a little girl. Trapped with several spidersprogs to keep her company.

'Get away from me!'

That cry coupled with the clatter of Yulie's bow when she dropped it as she collapsed to her knees covering her head was all the direspider needed to suddenly propel itself towards her.

_**~#~#~#~**_

Kara tapped her foot impatiently as she waited with Amir, who was pacing back and forth anxiously, for the rest of the group to arrive. They were supposed to have met up by now and go back the way they came in order to purge the switch room of monsters before flipping the switch that would unlock the gate to the Demithor's head. Instead she was left twiddling her thumbs whilst they were doing god knows what.

She had half a mind to go back up and drop down the hatch they went through when the door across from her opened allowing her to see the irritable young Lord and the rest of her group, minus two of them.

'Did you miss me' Caesar asked more to Kara than Amir apparently oblivious to the glare he was getting from her while Amir sighed with relief.

'What took you so long?' she practically demanded before noticing the two holes in the group. 'Where are Yulie and the Magician?'

'The hatch leading further down opened as we descended. Before we could try to pull them back up, it closed on us' Eldore explained.

'We were hoping that, if we stopped to take care of the switch, they would be back here with you guys by now' Leonard finished looking worried seeing as he could not see hide or hair of the two people in question.

'B-But they hatches are maintained both before and after the mining season when the hired party goes in with me. There's no way the hatch should have opened on its own' Amir argued.

'Which means: there is someone else here with us. Or at least was' Eldore concluded figuring that whoever was doing this may possibly be long gone by now.

'The Magi?' Leonard asked figuring they were the only people they had a vendetta against.

Before Eldore or anyone else could say anything in regards the Leonard's question, the very ground beneath their feet shook as what sounded like an explosion could be heard somewhere beneath them.

'Either the big guy's hungry or our favourite Spellcaster just unleashed hell on something big' Caesar remarked sounding not at all worried.

'Let's just hope that that "something" succumbed and did not survive' Eldore said as he quickly made his way towards the elevator with Leonard close behind.

_**~#~#~#~**_

The first thing Yulie heard when she came to was the sound of something pounding in her right ear. Tentatively opening her eyes, she saw nothing but green in her right eye whilst her left showed her an arm holding a black staff that was pointed at something outside her field of view. Turning her head slightly, Yulie saw the carcass of a direspider that had a huge hole going straight through it. The sight of the still smouldering remains brought back everything that had just happened.

The direspider had made to pounce on her only to miss as Alastor had wrapped an arm round her and practically flew away from the arachnid. Turning around in mid-flight, the Spellcaster skidded across the ground as he pointed his staff at the spider and sent a bolt of pure mana at it all the while holding Yulie against his chest.

Finally getting her bearings, Yulie felt her face heat up as she realised that she was hearing was Alastor's heartbeat and was also clinging to him like her life depended on it. With that in mind, she quickly pushed away from him not caring if her actions hurt him. Caught by surprise at the sudden movement, Alastor could only yelp as he found himself being pushed backwards and hitting his head hard off the ground.

'You're welcome' He groaned as he sat up and rubbed the back of his head.

Yulie just ignored him too upset, embarrassed and red in the face to care what he thought at the moment.

Seeing that he was being given the silent treatment, Alastor got to his feet and walked over to where Yulie was sitting and crouched down beside her.

'Want to talk about it?' He asked softly.

'What do you think?' Yulie muttered.

'I think you need to let out whatever's troubling you before it makes you do something you'll later come to regret' Alastor replied.

'Why do you care? This has nothing to do with you' Yulie said as she turned to glare at him evidently wanting the Spellcaster to just leave her alone.

'Because this isn't like you' Was the Spellcaster's reply. 'You're usually full of this untameable fire that can never be put out even when facing what you fear most'

Yulie's glare disappeared as her face fell upon hearing that. 'You knew?'

'It wasn't hard to notice you stiffen up every time we came across a group of sprogs that numbered more than us' Alastor shrugged.

Yulie's shoulders sagged at his words. It was one thing to be saved by him when she was at her most vulnerable point. To find that he knew about her fear of spiders bigger that a coin before now, she just wanted the earth to open up and swallow her.

'You must think I'm pathetic' She mumbled.

'Quite the opposite actually' He replied his words causing her to stare at him in disbelief. 'You were afraid yet still managed to move forward to help your friend. In that sense, you're braver than me'

There was no better word to describe Yulie other than stunned. Who could blame her? She had just been told, by the Dark Magician, that she was braver than him. It was a compliment that was sure to be forever remembered in her heart of hearts.

'Why are you telling me this?' She asked after a few moments and she was sure she saw his cheeks redden slightly before he looked away from her.

'Guess you could say that I'm starting to like you too' He said as he scratched the back of his neck still not looking at her.

Yulie smiled remembering her own embarrassment as she confessed the same to him the other night.

'Not to mention that these things only eat _sweet_ girls'

Yulie was instantly on her feet and swinging her fist at the Spellcaster who dodged easily as he chuckled at her reaction evidently pleased that the Yulie he knew was back.

'Stupid, secretive, smart-alec Spellcaster' She muttered under her breath as she went over to where her bow was whilst said Spellcaster headed towards the door leading out of the hall they were in. 'Just had to go say that and spoil the moment'

No sooner had those words left her mouth did Yulie clasped shut with both hands as her face went red again. She could not believe she had just said that yet, at the same time, wonder out loud…

'Am I falling for _him_?'

_**~#~#~#~**_

_Hope that keeps you interested in this fic until I can update._

_Review if possible & 'til next time_

_Watch this space & peace out!_


	7. Armoured Matriarch

_Disclaimers on chapter 1_

_Quick note. From now on, Eldore will be referred to as a Swordmage seeing as Alastor uses magic more than metal._

_**~#~#~#~#~#~#~#~#~#~#~#~#~#~#~#~#~#~#~#~#~#~#~#~#~#~#~#~#~#~#~#~#~#~#~#~#~#~#~#~#~**_

Leonard drummed his fingers against the hilt of his sword as he waited impatiently for the elevator to make its exceedingly slow decent towards the lowest level of the Underbelly. Whilst he, Eldore, Kara, Caesar and Amir slowly made their way down, Yulie and Alastor could be fighting for their lives against the Magi, possibly the Black Knight himself who had yet to show himself since their brief encounter in the Flanders.

'Relax, would ya?' Caesar advised noticing the youth's impatience. 'You're going to give yourself enough wrinkles to look like Eldore if you keep frowning like that'

'Better him than you' Kara remarked whilst the Swordmage in question just plain ignored them.

From what he had seen of Alastor's displays of magic _before_ wielding his staff for the first time in at least a year, Eldore knew that the Spellcaster could easily now hold his own against an Incorruptus as skilled as _Ebonwings_. Yet that was assuming that the Spellcaster's skill in arcana lore was up to scratch and even a year of not using an art was enough to dull its edge.

The only reason that Eldore had not told Leonard about this was because it was a nice change having the youth worry about someone other than the Princess. Whilst her Highness was their main priority, the way the youth kept trying to push forward in order to save her, he was sure to end up doing something stupid.

Leonard exhaled slowly as he tried to take the young Lord's advice. He knew both Yulie and Alastor could take care of themselves but their battle in the ruins in the Lagnish desert taught him that the Magi still had some tricks up their sleeves. Cruel tricks that they were not afraid to use.

'Perhaps he is not much worried about where they are but rather what they might be doing' Kara suggested curious to the Pactmaker's reaction.

'W-What?' Leonard sputtered sure he was hearing things wrong. 'You mean like…as in…'

He stopped himself there before he went any further in fear of the images his mind might make up. As much as he would have liked Yulie to finally find someone who could actually have the courage to attempt asking her out, and quite possibly tame her somewhat, Leonard had seen enough of the two together to know that there was no way she and Alastor could ever be together. Could they?

'Hey, you never know' Caesar chipped in. 'She's the first girl I've seen to actually stand up to Al. Heck, she's the first girl to get _that close_ to him for that matter'

'Can we stop talking about this, please?' Leonard pressed as the elevator stopped on the desired floor. 'There is no way that Yulie and Alastor are-'

'Are _what_?' Yulie asked from directly behind Leonard causing the youth to spin round in surprise.

Standing in the entranceway to the elevator, Yulie stood with her arms crossed looking at Leonard with a look that promised pain if she found out what the group had been talking about during her absence.

'Well?' Yulie asked looking expectantly at Leonard who had begun sweating slightly the longer she focused her gaze on him.

'N-Nothing' Leonard eventually replied quickly turning to the others for assurance. 'Right, guys?'

Seeing his new friend in distress, Caesar decided to help him out a bit despite the fact that, now that Kara had mentioned it, he was curious about the supposed relationship between the archer and the Spellcaster.

'Yeah, I was wondering if you two had been eaten up by direspiders and Leonard here was just starting to defend you when you appeared before us' The young Lord said as he slung an arm over Leonard and shook him slightly. 'You sure have a good friend, don't you?'

_Friend_. That's all she would ever be to him, Yulie had finally realised. Managing a smile that did not quite reach her eyes, Yulie muttered something in agreement not caring if the others noticed the difference before stepping out the way for them to leave the elevator. It was then that they saw Alastor sitting quietly against the wall looking as if he was dozing off as he waited for them.

'So what was that explosion we heard?' Leonard asked curiously seeing that his best friend was okay and still in one peace.

'Just a stubborn bug' Alastor replied as he stood up evidently still awake despite looking otherwise.

'A _big_ stubborn bug' Yulie added shivering slightly at the memory of said bug. Give her a dragon or an enemy Incorruptus and she would gladly fight that over a direspider any day. At least they were now passed that point in their journey.

_**~#~#~#~**_

It was one thing to see the Demithor from afar. To see it upon exiting the Underbelly, right above the first set of shoulder joints of the colossus, was something one had witness to understand the experience.

'Look at the size of it!' Leonard could not help but remark feeling very, _very_ small compared to the Demithor, even when he transformed.

At that moment, the Demithor decided to speak. From this range, the entire stairway the group was standing on shook as if struck by an earth tremor although that was nothing compared to the deafening sound that accompanied it.

'Ow' Yulie grumbled wriggling a finger in her left ear in an attempt to stop the ringing echoing within.

Seemingly unaffected, Caesar gave the papitaur a confident pat on the shoulder. 'Take it away, Amir'

Emboldened by the young Lord's words, Amir sped towards the rook that had been built around the Demithor's elbow and forearm declaring he was going to communicate to the behemoth.

'Rather fast, for a little papitaur' Alastor could not help but note.

'I know one who can run faster' Yulie said as she remembered Raus bolting away from her one time when she caught him slumbering during his work. The papitaur was almost kicking up a dust storm as he scarpered away.

'How fiercely were you glaring at the poor guy?'

Yulie made to hit Alastor on the shoulder only to grab hold of it instead to keep her balance as the Demithor suddenly began to traverse the caldera at a quicker pace towards the almost sheer mountains that made the walls of the basin. Reaching the desired area, the Demithor began to stand up using a pair of its front legs to hold against the wall as if leaning against the cliff with its back legs braced against the floor of the caldera leaving only its four remaining arms to balance the steel stone plate that held Greede on top of it.

Once the city was level with the Bunker Lode cavern that housed the ruins, several heavy duty steel hooks ten metres tall fell outward onto the edge of the cavern where huge grooves formed from the same metal as the hooks lay. With a deafening clang, the free city of Greede was anchored to the side of the cliff and the way forward to the group was now open.

_**~#~#~#~**_

'We're almost there' Eldore told the group relieved that they were finally moving again, this time in the right direction.

'Took long enough' Yulie commented glaring pointedly at Alastor who could have aided them in reaching the caverns before the sky began to glow with an orange hue.

Currently, they were in the central station waiting for the mining train which was being prepped for them.

Because pockets of mineral were sometimes found in vast quantities, a special railway line was built that literally led off the edge of the steel and stone plate. During the mining off season, an untouched cavern, assuming the last one was depleted, was chosen and groups of workers were sent over via skywavers to build new anchor grooves and a track line that would lead further into the mine. That way, when mining season began, more time would be spent excavating ore and other minerals and transporting them back to Greede.

'Cisna must be close' Leonard muttered focusing on the main reason they were here once again. He was too focused on what was ahead to notice several of his group had either rolled their eyes or shook their heads at his back.

'So is this princess hot?' Caesar asked quietly over Alastor's shoulder. 'The way he goes on about her. Boy oh boy, she must be smokin''

As tempting as it was to drive his elbow into the young Lord's stomach, Alastor quelled the urge and resorted to just jerking his shoulder upwards causing Caesar to take a step back.

'Okay then, how about telling me about what the story is between you and Yulie?' Caesar asked changing the focus of the topic.

Alastor's reply was just to look at the young Lord with a raised eyebrow as if saying "You've got to be kidding me". Noticing he now had the Spellcaster's full attention Caesar decides to press a bit more seeing if he could get a reaction. A task that was just as easy as drawing blood from a stone.

'You have to at least admit that she's got a great figure' He said tilting his head to the side as his eyes took in the archer's figure who was oblivious to what was going on behind her at the moment.

Alastor had to grudgingly admit that Yulie did stand out among all the other females he had seen on his travels, including Kara when they first met. And he definitely could not deny that the girl had spirit and was unafraid to stand up for herself regardless of whom it was. He had the sore foot to prove it.

'Hey. Move it' Kara called out to them as she stepped onto the train that was now ready to take them to the caverns.

Alastor gladly complied thankful for the escape from territory he had next to no experience in. It was not that he did not like women he just preferred to keep to himself. The trouble was that Caesar kept trying to push him into double dates with a friend of his current love interest-to which he declined with a gentle lightning bolt to the young Lord's rear-and now Yulie seemed to be trying to get to know him. The why behind it currently eluded him.

'We will have to be careful' Eldore advised them as the train left the station. 'We'll be facing more than just the Magi where we're going'

That was rather obvious. There was the strong possibility that the group might run into a dragon or two. That was without including the red scorpions and fire lizards that inhabited that partial section of the mountain range. And that was without including the Magi and whatever they had planned for them when they met once again.

'Not much of glass half full kind of guy, are you Eldore?' Yulie asked before shrugging. 'Then again, neither are you, Magician-boy'

Alastor just rolled his eyes before gesturing towards Leonard. 'You'd rather we'd be more like _him_'

Yulie did not even have to glance at her best friend to see that he was getting himself mentally prepared to save the princess. She even had doubts as to whether he was actually worried about her when they got separated.

'Point taken' she grumbled turning her attention to the window to admire the view of the Flanders and the caldera before the cavern swallowed the train and they were now bathed in the fiery glow of the lanterns placed throughout the cavern.

Upon exiting the train, Caesar halted them, taking a moment of their time to give them an important speech that could probably save their lives. Evidently, he was not aware of the fact that they had been in life threatening situations ever since the ball in Balandor several days passed.

'We'll have to be careful by the ruins, that's dragon territory. A number of our workers have been attacked causing my dad to stop and forbid work here for the time being' The young Lord explained which certainly told the rest of the group why there was so much mining gear and equipment still lying about. Apparently the Count must have ordered an immediate evacuation to ensure that none of the workers lost their lives.

'Generally speaking, dragons leave humans alone, but they don't like people anywhere near their nest' He continued. 'Also, one of the dragons that lives in the ruins wears armour'

'And, unfortunately for us, the Magi just happen to be going that way' Alastor concluded voicing what the others were thinking.

Leonard let out a sigh of frustration. He knew he should have expected as much given that the armoured dragon possibly was the guardian of one of the remaining Knights that had yet to be found. If the dragons were not ticked off already for the Magi trespassing in their territory, then surely their presence may tip the scale.

'Hey, no sweat!' Caesar assured him seeing his down look. 'Dragons like me' Eldore, Alastor and Kara gave him a look that told him they believed otherwise. 'Well, probably' The stares did not falter. 'Anyway, it'll be an adventure. Shall we?'

'If the dragons like him, why is he still alive?' Kara asked watching the young Lord heading off through the cavern.

'Probably because he still had an excellent bodyguard at the time' Eldore suggested drawing his longsword and infusing it with water magic to aid him against the fire based creatures they were sure to come up against before looking at the "bodyguard" in question. 'Although I'm sure he was tempted to off him as well at several points'

Alastor smirked before twirling his staff with one hand like a baton as he followed after the young Lord. Indeed he felt like killing Caesar at times like Eldore pointed out but instead managed to restrain himself quite possibly gaining the patience of a saint. There was no doubt that even a saint's patience would improve were they given the task he once had.

Travelling through the caverns, the group could not help but notice how warm it was as they went reminding Leonard and Yulie of the Lagnish desert, a place neither of them wished to return to for the rest of their lifetimes if possible. It was also crawling with red scorpions and fire lizards-the latter left to Alastor, Yulie and Eldore who struck them down from long range before the creatures could attack-something that Caesar could not help but point out earning a glare from the rest of them for the terrible pun.

It was only once they were approaching the elevator that went to the lower levels, one of which leading to the ruins, did the group finally run into a group of Magi infantry. Despite easily overcoming them, they were held back long enough for the enemy's reinforcements to arrive which included a heavy hitter. It was around the same height and shape as an incorruptus but all in black and had a helmet that looked similar to a birdcage emitting an eerie purple light. In its hand was a club with sharp spikes protruding at equal intervals.

'What is that?' Leonard asked knocking away an infantryman's sword allowing Eldore to plunge his longsword through the chest plate.

'A _black knave_. Similar to Gigas and Pyredaemos: magical plane beings, except this one is created from the darkness element' Alastor explained briefly. 'Go for its head, that's where the core is'

Earth, air, fire, water: the four base elements from which nearly all spells in elemental lore are related to in some way. Whilst this was true, there was also two other elements: light and darkness. Unlike the other elements, these two relied more on the emotions and intentions the Spellcaster had in mind when casting. Because of this, these two elements were supposedly the reason how the seven sins and virtues were created due to how they contrasted each other despite it being nothing more than conjecture.

Nodding his ahead at the advice, Leonard ignored the rest of the infantrymen and transformed into the White Knight hoping to end things quickly before the knave did too much damage both to him and the others. Despite almost being sent reeling by the first blow he blocked, Leonard timed his jabs so that he struck after the knave swung its club eventually dealing the deathblow.

By the time he reverted back, the rest of the Magi infantry had been dealt with and his friends were now waiting for him near the elevator which appeared to be malfunctioning as it failed to move despite the lever being tugged back and forth in its socket.

'Guess they must have flipped the switches at the engine rooms' Caesar said after a few moments. 'Gotta say, these Magi folk sure cover their bases'

'You say that as if you admire them' Kara said raising her rapier slightly. 'Thinking of joining them? It will be short lived if you do'

'And risk going up against such a pretty young lady, such as yourself?' Caesar countered only getting Kara's temper and weapon to rise more than anything else he was hoping for.

'Keep that up and you will' She warned him.

'Can you get this platform to move?' Eldore asked of Alastor hoping that the Spellcaster could help them avoid any additional travelling time.

'Shall we find out?' Alastor replied before stabbing at the floor with his staff.

The platform shuddered and dropped slightly as the locks relinquished their hold on the plate causing the rest of the group to brace themselves expecting to suddenly plummet downwards only to nearly sigh in relief when it started to descend gently to the lower floors.

'That wasn't funny!' Yulie growled at the Spellcaster feeling like her heart was trying to jump up her throat with each beat.

'That was great' Caesar contradicted looking like he had actually enjoyed it by the smile on his face.

Alastor just shrugged as one corner of his mouth curled up in amusement although whether it was because he had fooled the others or at Yulie's now stormy face was anyone's guess. In response, Yulie practically bit down on her tongue hoping it would prevent her from blushing whilst telling herself that he was not smiling like that _at her_ but at Caesar's comment.

All too soon the platform reached the floor that lead to the ruins. Pulling his staff out of the floorboard once making sure that the locks were on, Alastor quickened his pace to catch up to the others only to practically run into them as they had stopped upon seeing a fire dragon literally blocking their path to the ruins.

'Out of my way!' Leonard shouted about to transform before Eldore caught hold of his wrist wielding the dagger that would activate his Ark.

'Don't!' Eldore warned pulling the youth's arm away from the gauntlet. 'If we slay a dragon here we'll have the rest of them swarm us like moths to flame!'

'Then how are we supposed to get passed and rescue Cisna?' Leonard challenged sensibility leaving him seeing that the princess was so close yet out of reach due to some oversized lizard.

Finally having enough of her best friend prattle on about the princess, Yulie walked up to Leonard and delivered a swift kick to his rump sending him flat on his face.

'Stop thinking you're the only one here trying to rescue her, Leonard!' She scolded him before he could open his mouth to ask why she did that. 'We're all here because we want to help. And we all have something to contribute to the cause'

She had looked pointedly at Alastor for the last bit. The Spellcaster had just walked passed them and was now facing off against the dragon which was snarling slightly at him clearly sensing a threat.

Unfazed, although slightly stunned by the creature's breath, Alastor swung his staff through the air. Despite being nowhere even close to the weapon's range, the dragon suddenly found itself being knocked into the side wall by an invisible force. Whilst the dragon lay stunned, a white outline of a circle suddenly appeared around its ankles bearing a pentagram with different symbol in each point acting like some sort of anchor and pinning the dragon in place.

'Let's go, before it wears off' The Spellcaster advised quickly jogging passed the dragon with the others in close pursuit.

'What did you just do to it?' Yulie asked once they reached a clear section of the cavernous tunnel and stopped to catch their breath.

'Created a glyph of holding. Works pretty much like a noose' Alastor explained.

'That's not in either spirit or divine lore' Eldore noted having a decent grasp of both types of lore himself although nowhere near Alastor's level.

'Yeah, but Al isn't your typical every day Spellcaster now, is he?' Caesar pointed out.

'Let's move on, shall we' Alastor quickly asked apparently not wanting the conversation to continue any further.

Surprisingly, Leonard remained where he stood until only he and Yulie, who stayed to make sure he was okay, was left as the others pressed forward.

'You okay?' Yulie asked cautiously. 'You're not upset that I kicked your ass in front of everyone, are you?'

'What? No, it's not that' Leonard replied shaking himself out of his stupor. 'It's just that…Well…'

'Forget about it' Yulie cut in realising that he was trying to apologise. Something that he had trouble doing when it came to the mistakes he made particularly when she was right and he was wrong. 'Just remember that you can't do everything yourself, got it?'

She emphasised her point by gently hitting him on the forehead before running off after the rest of the group. Leonard remained where he was, mentally thanking whatever spirits that had made him and Yulie friends before following after her.

_**~#~#~#~**_

It was not long before the group finally reached the ruins. The ancient stone building were practically embedded into the far wall of the cavern which was filled with the orange glow of the setting sun coming from a gap between two sheer walls of red rock. Far off to one side, the Magi's monoship could be seen peeking out from behind the cliff face indicating how they got in.

'Cisna, I'm here!' Leonard called out to the princess spotting her amongst a sea of black armour situated before the ruins.

Spotting him, the princess called out causing Belcitane to turn round in surprise clearly not expecting them so soon.

'Must you always show up _right_ in the nick of time?' He asked sounding exasperated. 'I must say, you're starting to become a bit of a cliché'

'Fine with us. Now let her go!' Leonard demanded.

'It'll be the obvious way of stopping us from seeing each other any further after this point' Alastor added standing beside Leonard and pointing his staff at the man.

'Hey, he's one of the Magi?' Caesar asked curiously apparently not understanding the seriousness of the situation. 'Gotta say I'm diggin' his haircut'

A dull clunk could be heard as Alastor struck the young Lord over the back of his head with his staff. It was not hard enough to send him to the floor, but it at least told him to stop jerking around lest he wanted to be killed.

'Oh, found another friend, have we?' Belcitane asked watching the spectacle. 'Raise a whole army! You still won't stand a chance against us!'

As this was going on, one of the soldiers whispered something to Shapur who had joined Belcitane on this mission to retrieve the Dragon's Ark assuming that was what they were there to retrieve. Nodding at whatever the soldier told him, Shapur, the soldier and one other infantryman walked away from the rest of the group towards the ruins. Belcitane remained oblivious to what was happening behind them too focused on finally removing the thorn from his side and getting the ark of the White Knight.

'You do know you're wasting your time searching these ruins?' Eldore asked noting three of their enemy's number walking away.

'If you mean for the Ark, we're _waiting_, not _searching_' Belcitane told them revealing the nature to why they were here. 'The dragon who carries it has to return sometime'

'Why wait?' Leonard challenged drawing his sword. 'We'll take care of you right now!'

'Why not, he's already cruising for a bruising' Caesar agreed frowning as he readied his spear.

He had seen the carcass of a dragon on his latest trip through the Flanders and was upset and angered by the fact someone would dare kill a creature from a proud race. Now it seems he had found the culprits.

'Oh really? You'll help pass the time? How kind of you!' Belcitane said signalling all but ten of his men, including the two that held the princess, to attack.

Alastor was the first to strike. With a swiftness unseen since his days in the army, the Spellcaster darted forward then leapt up into the air. Stabbing the ground with his staff as he landed within the sea of Magi infantry, a powerful shockwave sent the infantrymen sailing in all directions. Using the chaos their ally created, Yulie began picking off infantrymen whilst they were still in the air whilst Kara nimbly darted through the falling bodies delivering swift strikes or fireballs to those that still lived.

Leonard, Eldore and Caesar, meanwhile, began cutting through those that had been fortunate to avoid the initial attack as they pressed forward towards Belcitane who was currently throwing spells at Alastor and sometimes jumping to one side as the Spellcaster batted his own spells back at him on occasion. He almost did not notice the trio approaching until a thunderbolt from Eldore narrowly missed his nose.

'Let's dispense with the foreplay' He suggested signalling to the eight remaining infantrymen.

Unlike the others, these Magi soldiers wielded Rosetta Seals, cards that were imbued with summoning magic that allowed them to transform into Gigantes. Out of the eight, only two of them were able to actually transform whereas the others were cut down by arrows, spells and even Caesar's spear despite the young Lord not knowing what was happening.

Even though the remaining two had transformed, they were immediately pounced upon by the White Knight who cut down the cyan avian Gigas with a blow going from the left shoulder to right hip then skewered the yellow beetle Gigas. Both fell lifeless before burning up in purple flames into nothingness.

Belcitane began to sweat. He had planned so that his men would slowly wear them out yet they had been beaten within minutes. He was almost resorting to bring out his trump card as Leonard began moving towards him when he heard it. The snarling cry of the matriarch.

'It's the dragon!' Leonard gasped noticing the silhouette of a dragon fly through the sky above them.

'And it makes the one in the Flanders seem small in comparison' Eldore could not help but note remembering all the trouble they had with the black dragon.

'Damn! _That's_ how to make an entrance!' Caesar marvelled whooping as the dragon gracefully circled before swooping down to land heavily in front of them.

Like Eldore had mentioned, this dragon was bigger than the one they fought against with the Black Knight. Another difference was that this one, strange as it may sound, wore armour a burnt sienna in colour. Whilst the dragon glared down at the group, Belcitane chuckled in relief before disappearing in a flash of light with the princess and Shapur who had mysteriously reappeared during the course of the battle.

'Where'd they go?' Yulie asked noticing the disappearance of the enemy.

'Clever' Eldore muttered as he realised what was happening. 'He wants the dragon to finish us off for him'

'Well, would you rather talk about it, or do something about it?' Caesar queried.

The answer came quite easily as the armoured dragon spewed a pillar of fire at them. Only the quick thinking of Alastor and Eldore prevented the group from being roasted alive as they conjured a combined fire shield that parted the flames before they reached them. It was now a test to see who could outlast the other.

Hoping to even the odds, Leonard made to transform into the White Knight again. The dragon, however, seemed to guess what was about to happen and ceased trying to flame them and instead spun round. Caught off guard, the group were unable to react in time to avoid getting caught by the dragon's tail.

All but one of them.

Turning its gaze upward, the dragon glared at Alastor unaffected by the death glare it was receiving from the levitating Spellcaster.

'Come on then, lizard breath' Alastor goaded and was rewarded with another stream of fire shooting for him.

The armoured dragon became perplexed when its fire suddenly disappeared into a black hole that had suddenly appeared before her prey. The next second, another black hole appeared before the dragon with its own flame coming out and striking the one who sent it forth.

Taking advantage of his stunned opponent, Alastor landed gracefully on the ground and thrust his empty palm towards the dragon. A bolt of seemingly invisible energy shot forth and collided with the dragon its sharp claws gouging the stone floor as it skidded backwards at least thirty feet before stopping.

Instead of launching a counter attack, the dragon just sat back on its haunches as if it had had enough for one day. Noticing this, Alastor sighed in relief as he lowered his staff evidently happy that he no longer had to fight.

'What's she doing?' Yulie asked having recovered from the blow the group had taken and only now finding her voice after watching the spectacle.

'I think she's finally realised we're not the enemy' Caesar said slowly having a more clear understanding of dragons than the rest.

Yulie was about to ask the young Lord how he knew the dragon was a she when said dragon spoke up for the first time since its appearance.

'_**I made a terrible mistake this day**__**'**_ She said her remorseful voice somehow echoing through their minds. _**'The death of my beloved child made me blind with grief and rage. I did not know I was savaging the one person I am supposed to serve'**_

The way the matriarch spoke. Unless the group was misinterpreting, among them was…

'The one who is to _receive_ the Dragon's Ark' Eldore muttered looking in surprise at the one in question.

'Well, what do you know?' Caesar marvelled his day becoming more interesting by the minute.

At that moment, Belcitane reappeared along with the princess and her captors.

'I have to admit, that didn't turn out _quite_ the way I had hoped, but that's alright' Belcitane said catching the attention of the group as he pulled a Rosetta Seal out of thin air. This one slightly different from the other Seals. 'I have a Gigas, too. One with power that puts your oversized lizard's to shame!'

Alastor tensed. Even from where he was, he could sense the power that card. It was clearly more unique than the ones faced previously.

'Come forth, Sargantanas!' The insane aide yelled pressing the card to his forehead. '_Adveni_'

When the light finally faded, the creature in the place of Belcitane was unlike any they had seen before. Its appearance was that of a giant from the torso upwards whilst the lower half was something similar to a four legged spider with a scorpion tail that had another head in place of its stinger.

The group could only watch in horror as the Gigas known as Sargantanas went on to attack the dragon matriarch who was already weakened from her battle against Alastor. Barely managing to fend off the first few volleys from the creature, the matriarch stumbled backwards as she tried to get her bearings only to realise too late that she had gone right where they wanted her.

Tens of hundreds of firebolts materialised out of thin air before lancing towards the dragon matriarch some missing but most finding their target. The dragon matriarch roared in pain before collapsing under the weight of so many spells that tore through her scales and armour leaving burnt and blacked wounds in its place.

'**Gotcha!'** Sargantanas cheered before crying as a bolt of blue flame hit him clean in the face causing him to stumble into the wall as he tried to wipe the fire off himself.

'Not nice, having the boot on the other foot, huh?' Alastor jeered only being prevented from launching another spell by the two Magi grunts holding the princess before him.

Meanwhile, Caesar, ignoring the calls from his friends, had run over to the matriarch's side who was remarkably still living despite what had just happened to her.

'Hey! Hang in there!' He called out to her unsure of how he could help being that he had no skill in the healing arts.

'…_**It…It **_**is**_** you'**_ She gasped painfully clearly on her last leg. _**'The power…brought you here…guided us…together…'**_

'What?' Caesar asked confusion appearing on his face before worry replaced it.

'_**For countless years…I have protected…this power…Waiting…to return it to you…'**_ The matriarch explained her time running out. _**'And now…that time…has come…Take it…my child'**_

Using the last of her strength, the dragon matriarch stood up before transforming into a bright light that darted through the air like a sky serpent before shooting towards Caesar. As the light faded, Caesar stared at what he now held in his hand.

'This…this is the _Dragon's Ark_' He muttered in awe staring at the tool the Magi had come to acquire as their own.

'_**Use it wisely.**_ _**Power such as this can wreak great destruction… Yes… but it can also be used for good'**_ He heard the voice of the matriarch whisper in his ear. _**'I know you will do the right thing. I believe in you, my child'**_

'You've done your duty well' He whispered clasping the Ark tightly in his hand. 'I'll watch over the Ark now'

At that moment, just like what had happened in the treasure vault and ruins, a spell of the ancient tongue graced princess Cisna's lips as her body gave off a calming blue aura. At the same time, a purplish aura appeared around Caesar looking as if he had realised something he had not known for in quite some time.

'Now I see…' He muttered the truth becoming clear to him.

'This is your problem now, right?' Alastor asked walking passed him on the way to the rest of the group.

'No' Caesar replied as he started walking in the opposite direction towards Sargantanas. 'It's his'

A ghost of a smile flitted across Alastor's face. He knew the true Caesar and the façade he put up to throw people off guard. And now, Sargantanas was about to experience it for the first and last time.

'Hey! Jackass the Giant!' Caesar called out to the Gigas. 'I don't usually get pissed off, but…if you've got any last words… Say them!'

From where they stood, Leonard and the others could not believe the change that had come over the young Lord they thought they knew. Indeed, his last words actually sent shivers down the youths spines whereas as Eldore just smirked having known that the young Lord had more to him than meets the eye.

'**Little gnat'** Sargantanas snarled sounding offended. **'You can be the first to die!'**

A huge fist slammed into the ground Caesar once stood whilst the genuine article landed safely on his feet atop a broken column.

'Wuh-oh, too slow there, clayfeet' Caesar taunted him. 'Now it's my turn!'

The Dragon's Ark, a lithe, scaled belt the same colour as the armour the matriarch wore with the buckle in shape of a dragon's head, darted out of his hand and begun swirling in the air around him.

_O Larvayne, vermillion drake, leveller of ancient lands  
grant me your power!_

The Ark darted in and snaked around Caesar's waist the dragonhead buckle stopping as it connected with a medallion that was embedded into the belt containing the glyph of the incorruptus.

_Verto!_

Slamming his hand against the buckle which, in turn, caused the dragonhead to bite down on the medallion, Caesar was engulfed in a purple light only to reappear twenty feet taller in the very armour the matriarch once wore wielding a trident spear at least twenty-five feet in length: the _Dragon Knight_.

'Him? Why _him_?' Kara asked sounding jealous and outraged that such a slob should get such a powerful weapon.

'**Oh ho, the great Dragon Knight awakens'** Sargantanas taunted. **'But if I can break the Pactmaker, I can break the pact!'**

Sargantanas expected this to be a quick fight having known all about the young Lord from what his spies told him. Unfortunately, none of his spies had realised that the Caesar they watched was not the Caesar he was now facing. So, when Sargantanas turned round to use his tail cannon, the Dragon Knight took to the sky using his wings before bringing twenty-five feet of spear crashing down on his head.

'**Who's funny now, clown-man, huh?'** Caesar asked before spinning his spear about to gain centrifugal force before twirling it round his waist then straight towards the core of a Gigas.

Like a dying spider, Sargantanas fell over as it curled inwards before reverting back into a weakened Belcitane.

'But how..? My Gigas?' Belcitane gasped still reeling from the blow he took to the head.

'"How"? I just busted your ass, that's how!' Caesar proclaimed standing over the portly man. 'Any questions?'

'Enough games!' Belcitane snarled as he stood up enraged by the young Lord's cockiness. He was about to resummons Sargantanas when a fiery hot pain shot through him. Glancing down at his stomach, Belcitane saw a blade of black flame protruding from it.

'A shameful performance, _sir_' Shapur mocked stepping into the wounded man's view a cloaked individual could be seen lowering his arm evidently the one dealing the blow.

'Shapur…Isaac…' Belcitane wheezed. 'You betray…our Lord's wishes…?'

'We weren't the ones who failed to carry out our orders' The cloaked man Belcitane called Isaac pointed out.

'Our Lord gave you a role to play, one you played poorly' Shapur continued knowing how the man before him had a thing for the theatrics. 'I'm afraid you've been booed off the stage. Goodbye, Belcitane'

'Just think of us as helping you go out in a _blaze_ of glory' Isaac said before following after Shapur and the others as they headed towards the monoship.

'Why would he…Booed off?' Those were the last words to come from Belcitane's mouth before Isaac snapped his fingers turning the black flame blade into a roaring inferno that engulfed Belcitane, screams and all.

Despite being shocked that the Magi would willingly kill one of their own so brutally, Leonard took off after the Magi realising that they were getting away again. Calling out his Ark, believing that the greater height would allow him to cover more distance and get there quicker, Leonard suddenly found himself being struck in the chest and sent sailing into Caesar sending both tumbling to the ground several feet from where they once were.

'Sorry, Little-Leonard, but we can't have you two reuniting _just_ yet' Isaac told him from where he stood.

He then quickly darted towards Yulie who had drawn her bow and about shoot before he swung his fist shattering both the bow and her hand. Despite the pain, Yulie pivoted on her back foot whilst drawing her hunting knife with her right hand hoping to catch her opponent off guard. Easily catching her wrist, Isaac just flung her to one side before dodging the blades of Eldore and Kara.

A simple left-right sent both of them to the ground, leaving him to deal with the last member of the group who struck so quickly, Isaac found himself flying backwards towards the monoship.

'What, no foreplay?' He asked after spinning and landing on his feet.

Alastor replied by sending an ice sphere at Isaac who replied with a black fireball the size of his fist that absorbed the ice spell and continued on to explode in the Spellcaster's face sending him crashing to the ground.

'Well, people. As fun as this has been, we shall part ways for now' Isaac said as he turned his back on the downed group and headed towards the monoship which was about to leave. 'Keep up the good work!'

The group could only pick themselves up and tend to their wounds as they watched the Magi escape with the princess once again.

_**~#~#~#~**_

_If you want information on Isaac you'll have to ask **Blaid** as he's letting me borrow his OC for this story_

_Review if possible & 'til next time_

_Watch this space & peace out!_


	8. Underneath the Moon We Talk

_Disclaimers on chapter 1_

_**~#~#~#~**_

It was with the setting sun beginning to hide itself behind the Flanders did the six battle weary travellers finally make it back to the Drisdall mansion. It was bad enough that they had failed to once again rescue the Princess but they also had their rear ends handed to them by a single man who was clearly on the same level as Dragias. Their only consolation was that they had managed to attain another incorruptus before the Magi.

As the group made their way through the large entrance doors to the mansion, the Count's head servant rushed up to them clearly wishing to have an urgent word with Caesar. A few whispered words and the ever present carefree look on Caesar's face vanished as he suddenly tore across the foyer and up the staircase completely forgetting all about his comrades.

'What's happened?' Yulie whispered to Alastor who was closest to her.

The Spellcaster remained silent as he stared after the young Lord. Had Yulie been looking at him instead of the same direction he was, she would have noticed a hint of sadness enter his eyes.

_**~#~#~#~**_

Maids and servants alike were quick to practically cling to the walls as the young Lord tore passed as he made his way to his father's chambers. Slamming the doors open with enough force they nearly bounced back against him, Caesar paused for a moment to catch his breath and collect himself before making his way towards his father's bedside.

'Dad, I'm back' He whispered humbly all confidence and cockiness gone as he looked upon the prone form of his father resting peacefully in the middle of his bed already departed for the next world.

After many years, decades even, of battling a fatal illness, Count Drisdall had finally succumbed to the inevitable.

Having finally caught up with the young Lord, the head servant handed Caesar a neatly folded and sealed letter addressed to him by his father.

'He asked that this be given to you when you returned' He explained meaning that the late Count had foreseen that, when he had "banished" Caesar from the mansion it was possible that it might have been the last each would see of the other.

With trembling hands, Caesar took the letter and carefully unfolded it before reading.

_My son_

_Forgive me for becoming so angry over such a trifle. That is no way to leave things._

_I have a confession to make. I _knew_ that the Goddess statue you gave me was a forgery from the very beginning.  
You're old man's far more clever than you give him credit for. But that doesn't matter. When I sa__w the eyes of the  
statue, I realised just how great a gift I had received. You risked your life to make your sick father happy. That  
fake Goddess was worth more to me than a hundred originals. Thank you._

_I look back now and I realize I always hid my feelings from you. I was too hard on you. I hope you can find it in  
your heart to forgive me._

_Caesar, there is something I must tell you now, while there is still time. Twelve years ago, a man came to me and  
left you in my care. You were young, and I don't know how much you remember of that meeting, but the man told  
me:_

"Raise this boy as if he were your own. Give him a quiet life, a peaceful life"

_At the time, I didn't know why he would place emphasis on something so simple, but I now understand. Son, I fear  
that you are destined never to live a peaceful life._

_That man was called Medius. He lives in Balandor. If you were to find him, then perhaps you could learn more of the  
past that you yearn to discover. Now is the time for you to decide whether to follow your fate, however hard, or fight  
against it. _

_Caesar, my boy, you must live your own life now. But never forget this one thing. No matter what happens, no matter  
what anyone says, you are, and always will be, my one true son._

_May you be strong._

The letter was splodged with his own tears as Caesar finished reading it. He was happy that his father acknowledged him and was proud of him. And yet, he could not help but be angry at himself for being such an irritating youth that brought on his father's wrath instead of his love. Had he known that his father's time was short…

'How in the world could anyone _not_ tell the difference between the two?' Someone asked from behind him causing the young Lord to whip round to see Alastor looking at the two statues of the Goddess of Lepanne which were side by side on the mantle underneath the life size portrait of the now late Count Drisdall.

Staring at the two statues, Caesar could not help but chuckle. He was supposed to be the one fooling his father yet it was _him_ who was the one being played for a fool. Caesar had to admit that the old man _was_ smarter than he gave him credit for.

Looking back at the letter, Caesar could not help but think back to the cavern where he had received the Dragon's Ark. Before then, he could never quite remember who his mother was and had never bothered to bring it up with his father in case he brought back upsetting memories. Now he could remember walking up to the very mansion he now called home with a tall man with blonde hair tied in a ponytail and a short beard.

He could not look farther back than then but perhaps, now with the Ark in his possession once again according to the Matriarch, his memories of younger days just might start to come back to him.

'You going to be okay?' The Spellcaster asked placing a comforting hand on the young Lord's shoulder.

'I'll live' Caesar replied. He was almost promising himself that he would. He would not let his father's passing deter him from finishing what he started.

'I told the others to wait in your quarters whilst I found out what had happened' Alastor told him before moving to the door. 'When you're ready, come on over and we can start planning our next move'

'_We_?' Caesar echoed looking back at the retreating Spellcaster.

'You wanted to tag along with us, right?' Alastor queried stopping in the doorway. 'Having second thoughts?'

'I didn't think you would actually _want_ me to come along anymore once you were done in the caverns' Caesar chuckled knowing he was toeing a fine line between life and death with the Spellcaster no matter how helpful he could be.

'I owed you one. Just don't make me regret it' Alastor grumbled making to leave again until Caesar called out to him.

'Thanks for putting up with me for those three years' He said quietly, sincerely even. 'And…sorry if I went over the top a little with some of my…_schemes_'

'With you involved, there's no such thing as _little_' Alastor scoffed.

Caesar had to admit what Alastor said was true. But anything less was no fun at all.

_**~#~#~#~**_

It was a few more minutes before Caesar managed to gather himself to meet the rest of his new group of friends. He gained words of condolence from them - including Kara- and even a comforting hug from Yulie. That was until he whispered something to the girl making her shove him away with enough force that he nearly tripped. She then walked to the couch farthest away from him and sat down with a face like thunder and red cheeks.

Needless to say, the young Lord would be just fine.

It was then that the topic fell to the contents of the late Count's letter. Particularly about the person who came to Greede with Caesar twelve years ago.

'This Medius fellow that Count Drisdall mentions may know more about the Knights' Eldore mused as he stroked his beard in thought.

'Sure sounds like he could be related to what's happening right now' Alastor agreed as he quickly perused the tear splotched letter going over what Count Drisdall had said about the man. 'The question is: is he _still_ in Balandor?'

The Spellcaster had a point. For all they knew Medius could have just been a passing traveller and had moved on past Balandor for parts unknown.

'Because it clearly says right here _"he lives in Balandor"_' Yulie stated leaning against him as she pointed out the quote on the letter. 'Not really that hard to figure out, Magician-boy'

Alastor just grunted in reply although that might have been partially due to Yulie's elbow digging into his side as she leaned in.

"Even so, it would be best if we returned to Balandor and try to find him as swiftly as possible' Eldore suggested getting nods of agreement from the rest of the group bar one.

'What about the Princess?' Leonard asked looking around at the group.

'What _can_ we do without breadcrumbs to follow?' Kara challenged. 'The trail's gone cold'

'There's still a chance to save her, Leonard' Yulie quickly put in before Kara made things worse. 'If she's somehow linked to the Knights then, hopefully, the guy we're trying to find in Balandor might be able to point in the right direction'

Leonard calmed down as he took in what his best friend said. It was all they had to go on, at least until the bigelow reported in with another relay from Cisna. All he could do was trust in his friend's judgement and pray that, when next they met, Cisna was with him and the Magi were defeated for good.

'All right' He agreed quietly.

'Atta boy! Balandor it is!' Caesar cheered suddenly springing up from his seat on the edge of his bed. 'Well, we better rest up before we leave'

Caesar's suggestion reminded the group of how dark it was getting. Before any of them could make a move to leave, the young Lord was one step ahead.

'Tonight, you're all welcome to stay here at the mansion' He offered gaining looks of happiness from Leonard and Yulie who had never went so long without sleeping in a real bed before. 'It beats camping in the desert, right?'

'You have _no_ idea' Yulie muttered still finding sand grains in her boots among other places.

_**~#~#~#~**_

This was nothing short of pure heaven was all Leonard though as he slowly sank into one of the several tubs filled with relaxing hot water. When Caesar offered them all rooms in the mansion, he went all out. Not only were they being treated to hot baths, but their clothes were being cleaned as they speak and even their weapons were getting repaired or replaced depending on how bad they were damaged.

'What I wouldn't give to stay here for a week' He sighed sinking so until just his head was above water.

'So the Princess is gonna take a backseat to a relaxing bath? You need to get your priorities sorted out' Caesar joked from his own tub before submerging himself.

'I didn't mean it!' Leonard explained sitting up and looking over at the tub that was now hiding the young Lord. 'You know that, right?'

'I would have been more surprised if you _had_ meant it' Eldore noted not looking away from the small mirror he was using as he trimmed his beard.

'You would've made a lot of enemies in Balandor if you had' Caesar commented once his head emerged from under water. He could have just blissfully interrupted an entirely different conversation all together but was lucky enough to avoid it.

'How in the world can you be so laidback after your father passing?' Leonard just went out and asked knowing he was rude but could not fathom how the young Lord seemed- for lack of a better word- flippant about the Count's death.

'Because I know that he would haunt me for the rest of my days saying things like "what happened to that so called laidback layabout I used to know?" Or something like that' Was the young Lord's reply.

'Sounds cold, if you ask me' Leonard muttered in response although he could not prove to be one better or anything.

As far back as he could remember, Leonard had always been in Rapacci's care and whilst he was scared of the man he also saw him as a fatherly figure. It was the same with Yulie who was adopted and raised in Parma and how the two seemed to become good friends. Now it seemed that they had another friend with a common past this one with a bit more fortune seeing who his adoptive father is or rather was.

'At least I'm making casual conversation' Caesar countered looking over at the fourth member of their little gathering. 'You still alive over there, Al?'

Leaning back in the tub with his arms behind his head, Alastor glared at the young Lord who was inviting him in for a dose of idle banter. With his hair no longer braided or spiked, he was almost unrecognisable had it not been for his ever present frown. Leonard had actually paused a second before realising who it was.

'C'mon, a little lip flapping won't hurt you' Caesar teased. 'Or are you too busy using magic to peak at our girls in the next room over. Actually, I wouldn't mind being able to do that myself'

'Only you would think of something like that' Alastor grumbled quelling the urge to turn Caesar's tub into an icicle with him still in it.

'Thinking about our new opponents?' Eldore queried.

Alastor remained silent. He had actually met one of the men the mad clown called Isaac or Shapur earlier on in the tavern not realising how dangerous the guy was. He would definitely be more skilled a Spellcaster than any of the other members of the Magi perhaps even the one responsible for the Rosetta Seals and magic plane summoned beasts they had encountered since that fateful night in Balandor.

'I don't know about that Farian that was with them, but the other guy is no run of the mill Spellcaster' Alastor admitted after a while.

Coming from the group's best magic user, this was something everyone in the room had to take seriously. Within a matter of minutes, the guy had beaten all of them inflicting serious injury to several in the process. This just proved that the Magi still had tricks up their sleeves.

'What I don't get is why he called me little when…' Leonard quickly went silent before glancing over at the wall which divided the two washrooms before continuing no louder than a whisper that the others could only just catch. '…out of all of us, Yulie is the smallest'

A sudden loud thump against the divider caused all of them to jump.

'I heard that!' A familiar voice could be heard from the other side.

'Wow, someone's a _little_ sensitive' Caesar remarked.

'Be thankful there was something between us. She can be _real_ scary when provoked properly' Leonard advised clearly speaking from first-hand experience.

_**~#~#~#~**_

'Jerks' Yulie muttered as she sat back down in her tub. She had half a mind to go over there and slug whoever called her little were it not for her state of undress.

'Mind telling me why you decided to throw a good bar of soap against the wall?' Kara asked curiously as she rinsed out her hair. She had the misfortune of being between the girl and the wall and nearly started when a bar of soap suddenly sailed over her head.

'Yes' Yulie grumbled she had sunk low enough in the tub so that when she spoke it sounded it was coming from under water.

Kara chuckled as she looked over at the girl whose eyes were just above the water level. It was apparent why Yulie never seemed to get many admirers, ones brave enough to reveal themselves to her at least. There was however one possible candidate.

'Planning to see Alastor tonight?'

That had the desired effect. Yulie opened her mouth to say something only to swallow a mouthful of water.

'What are you talking about?' She coughed looking down so that Kara could not see her red face. 'Why would I want to see Magician-boy any more than I have to?'

'Perhaps something to do with your left hand?' Kara suggested indicating the archer's said appendage which still looked rather bruised despite the archer girl healing it several times with no success.

Yulie looked down at her left hand. It hurt every time she moved it and was only able to lessen the pain by casting a light ice spell which would leave it numb for a while. She could not understand how it could still _not_ be healed despite following Alastor's instructions. It could not have been because she had missed something as she had memorised the Spellcaster's short but efficient spiel on the subject from start to finish. Either the bastard's fist was laced in some sort of spell when he struck or there was even more to healing than she first thought.

'He'll just snort that I'm not a proficient Spellcaster and tell me to go away' Yulie shrugged pulling herself out of the tub and wrapping herself in one of the thick fluffy towels that had been left out for them.

'He didn't tell you to go away last night'

Yulie, who had been towelling her hair with her back to the blonde swordswoman, froze as she felt her face heat up again. She had thought that everyone else was asleep before going over to talk to Alastor and had inadvertently fell asleep _against_ him. It was just pure luck that she had woken up before everyone else.

'When I suggested that you find someone else, I didn't mean to choose someone else from our group' Kara teased her clearly enjoying the moment. 'Although, seeing as the choice was between him and Eldore, I suppose he was the best one to fall for'

'I'm not falling for him!' Yulie snapped whirling on Kara.

'Really?' The blonde challenged.

'Yes. Really. He's given me a few tips on spell casting and that's it'

'As well as save your life several times' Kara added as she wrapped one towel round herself before drying her hair with another.

A growl slipped passed Yulie's lips as she dropped the towels and slipped into a silk maroon robe.

'There's nothing between us, that's final and don't you dare try to peek in, Caesar!' That last part was added as she vacated the bathes and caught the young Lord in the act.

Before he could get a chance to quickly look in at the other occupant whilst the door was still open, Kara struck it with a wind spell slamming it shut. Only then did she let out a quiet laugh having enjoyed teasing the girl she was starting to think of as a younger sister. The happy expression on her face vanished to replace it with one of sadness as she remembered how and why she was here.

_**~#~#~#~**_

After handing in his resignation to Count Drisdall and asking Caesar to hold onto his staff, Alastor had thought he would never have to set foot in his room in the mansion ever again. Yet, here he was sitting on the same bed he had been using for three years prior to his leave looking at the obsidian black staff that had declared him its master.

The only trouble with it being: he did not know _how_ he came into possession of it in the first place. All he knew was that he had rested for the night in a cave about a half days travel from a small village his master had wanted him to visit only to wake up and find himself sitting against a tree with a new staff leaning against one shoulder with no clue as to how long he had been there.

Whilst he could tell at a glance that it was both rare and powerful, Alastor decided to find a place where a weapons appraiser could tell him more about it. After several months of searching, the Spellcaster finally found one who specialised in magical weaponry in a small town not far from the Farian border several miles west from Frass Chasm. Unfortunately, the appraiser could only look at it given that simply touching the weapon would result in a mild repulsion spell into whatever lay behind him for five metres.

Seeing as the appraiser only repeated what he had already deduced, Alastor made to leave. Barely an hour later he was running back to the town which was now razed to the ground by a Farian battalion leaving only those who, like himself, had been out of town at the time. Banding together with those who knew how to wield a weapon, Alastor and the group followed after the Farians intent on exacting revenge for those they had slaughtered.

Thus the group which would become the legendary Chaos Legion was created.

Bartholomew the Grim Reaper, a farmer who traded his scythe for a rare, deadly weapon called an axe-sword; Fenris the Blue Crimson, master of the two katana style; Roland the Lionheart, blacksmith and greatsword wielder; Grunt the Longarm, a mute warg with a throwing arm that could send a spear clean through an enemy at fifty paces; Azalea the Weather Witch, a Spellcaster specialising in wind and water spells; Elma the Wind Dancer, a beastgirl who could strike from any angle; Grarl, the Gale Razor, a greataxe wielding warg that moved quicker than his kind should; Ceal the Hawk Eye, the beastgirl whose arrows never missed their mark; Galileo the Pacifist, the only papitaur and healer in the group; Dianus the Deserter and Taltenos the Outcast, two Farian warriors, a Swordmage and swordsman respectfully, who defected after witnessing the genocide their kind committed; and himself, Alastor the Dark Magician, the Spellcaster with unsurpassed skill in magic throughout the realm.

Throughout the night the battle was long and harsh, yet despite the overwhelming odds, the group of twelve might as well have been twelve thousand as they tore through the thousand strong Farian battalion that was less than a half days travel from another town north of their position now graveyard. When the red sun finally rose the next day, the ground was soaked in Farians blood and corpses leaving twelve battle weary companions with a bond forged of friendship, respect and admiration for each other.

'And here we are, eleven years later, scattered but still together' Alastor muttered as he collapsed onto his bed knowing full well that the Legion would be reuniting soon to face an enemy greater than the Farians if Galileo had anything to do with it.

He could still remember the day they were taken to Balandor. One week after their first battle, a small troop from Balandor, headed by the recently promoted Captain Cyrus, found them recuperating in the very village they had save and requested them to come to Balandor where King Valtos wished to induct them into the Balandor army.

When in Balandor, upon being introduced to King Valtos, Queen Floraine and their child Cisna, it took a small conjured ice sculpture as well as some teasing about always looking grumpy from Azalea and Dianus before the little Princess could show herself from behind her mother's skirt and greet Alastor. The Spellcaster was then surprised when the Princess not only smiled but then told him that he would make more friends if he smiled more. Everyone else in the room burst out laughing at that and Alastor was constantly reminded about it for nearly a month before they forgot about it.

That night, the Farians launched a surprise attack on Balandor itself striking under the gaze of the harvest moon. Despite the Legion's best efforts, come morning when the Farians made their swift retreat, it became known that Queen Floraine had been assassinated and Princess Cisna traumatised.

In retaliation, it was agreed that the Legion, along with a battalion of soldiers who had fought alongside them, including Captain Cyrus' squad as well as Mathias and Hohenheim, both of whom later becoming known as the Black Rose and Terra Lancer respectfully, marched forth towards the Van Haven Wasteland, a barren and broken plain east of the Dogma Rift whose appearance acted as a sort of borderline to Farian soil.

For over six years they held their ground neither giving an inch nor moving forward into Farian territory. Other battalions, believing them to be cowards, attempted to march further eastwards failed to realise how great a disadvantage they were at in the unknown lands until it was too late. The Farians homeland was covered in dense forestation with tress sometimes wide enough that ten men could not wrap themselves around. It was also said that the forest harboured all four seasons at the _same time_, but no one asides the two defectors had seen it for themselves yet.

'Hey, Leonard. Is something on your mind?'

Pulled out of his reminiscence by the faint sound of a familiar voice coming from his open window, Alastor slowly sat up realising that he was about to, unintentionally, be eaves dropping on a conversation he would rather not listen in on. Moving towards the open window, Alastor made to close it only to pause at the last second. Despite knowing how it would turn out, he was curious as to what would happen. Hopefully, if there was enough moisture in the air...

_**~#~#~#~**_

Leonard, who had been standing on the wide balcony of the mansion as he looked over the past few days particularly about the times Cisna was practically within reach only to slip away again, jumped slightly when his best friend somehow materialised beside him and asked him a question.

'Yeah…sort of' He mumbled in admittance.

'You're worried about the Princess' Yulie stated not at all surprised as she leaned against the stone rail.

'I can't help it' Leonard confessed missing the sadness in his best friend's voice as he stared up at the night sky. 'I've never missed anyone the way I miss her'

Even had he been looking at her, it was doubtful if Leonard would have noticed the hurt look crossing over Yulie's face as he said that especially as he had started smiling softly as he spoke.

'No one? Thanks a lot, Leonard. Not even _me_?' She asked trying to sound flippant over it or at least teasing.

'But I see you all the time' Leonard said not getting what she was meaning at all.

'That's funny' Yulie said sounding not at all humoured. 'Cause, to me, it feels like you kinda _don't_'

'Don't be silly' Leonard told her. The only way he would not be able to see her was if he became blind or she went somewhere else.

Yulie, meanwhile, was inwardly regretting ever coming out onto the balcony to talk to him. She had actually been heading towards Alastor's quarters in the hopes that he could heal her left hand which was starting to look worse judging by its swollen state and had remained unnoticed by Leonard as it rested on the rail allowing the cool night breeze to ease its pain.

'I met her once. When I was little'

Jerking back to life when she realised she was being talked to, Yulie looked at her best friend realising he was meaning the Princess.

'She was a kid too, of course, but I'll never forget. She had this beautiful smile' Leonard's eyes seemed to glaze over slightly as he looked back on that day twelve years ago. 'Not like at the castle ball. She seemed so different then, so sad, you know?'

By now Yulie had actually tuned out the explanation only vaguely acknowledging he was talking. She had finally found the reason why he had and would never see her as anything more than a friend. She had once hoped that she had experienced love at first site with him only to realise that she was too late and the Princess had beaten her to it.

'Must be nice to be a Princess…' She muttered.

'Oh, sorry' Leonard apologised nearly blushing upon realising he had just been rambling on about someone he had feelings for. 'I must sound pretty weird'

Weird was not the word Yulie would use to describe the boy-knight. But instead of voicing it, she plastered on a fake grin before turning to face her best friend.

'You've always been weird' She teased before sobering. 'So how about we get some sleep. Okay?'

'Sounds good' Leonard agreed before turning his gaze skywards once again. He never noticed Yulie walking away or the sad glance she gave him before entering the mansion.

_**~#~#~#~**_

'You must be kidding me' Alastor muttered in disgust as he waved a hand through the mist cloud that had shown him a reflection of what was happening just out of his line of sight causing it to disappear. 'I knew that kid was dense, but to not see _that_? Even a _blind man_ could see what he couldn't'

Grumbling under his breath, Alastor sat back down on the edge of his bed as he mulled over what he had just witnessed. His earlier comment of the White Knight Pactmaker having tunnel vision was more on the mark than he first thought. It was probably sheer dumb luck that the youth had managed to see the Princess before the attack. Yulie, on the other hand, had the worst of it.

'And why the hell am I concerned about that?' He asked aloud as if hoping the answer would come to him. Apparently it did because the next moment his eyes widened before he slapped a hand over them. 'Oh, of all the… There's no way that… Just what I _don't_ need'

At a faint tapping sound, Alastor looked round towards the door knowing full well who was on the other side. Not even waiting for him to answer, Yulie let herself in and walked over to the window staring up at the moon as she leaned against the sill.

'Come on in' Alastor said sarcastically. 'Make yourself at home'

If Alastor was expecting a witty comeback from the purple haired archer, he was disappointed when she just ignored him and kept staring up at the moon. This unsettled him slightly as he was expecting the girl to interrogate him the moment she got the chance. Yet, here they were and not a single question was sent his way. Clearly the little talk she just had with Leonard took more of a toll than he first expected.

'If you're not going to talk, can you please go to your _own_ room so I can get to sleep in mine?' He asked beginning to get irritated. He was also slightly nervous as he he was only wearing a thin robe and a pair of wool leggings whilst Yulie appeared to be wearing _just_ a robe going by how it clung to her.

He jumped slightly when Yulie suddenly brought her right hand down against the sill hard.

'He didn't even notice I'd left' She muttered in a mixture of sadness and anger. 'Here we are, a long way from home; encountering new enemies and monsters; gaining new friends and Incorrupti; nearly losing our very _lives_ and all he can think about is _her_? Ugh-OWW!'

Yulie had inadvertently slammed her left hand against the sill forgetting for a brief moment that it was still injured and sent a fresh wave of pain through her arm causing her to yelp in pain. Cradling her broken hand, Yulie was so distracted to realise that Alastor, after grumbling to himself under his breath, had gotten up and was now standing in front of her.

Despite being startled by how close he had gotten without her noticing, Yulie could not help but stare in awe as he gently took her injured hand in his and healed it within seconds. Suppressing the shiver she got as she gently tugged her hand out of his grip Yulie could only stare in amazement as she flexed her fingers feeling not even the slightest twinge of pain.

'Didn't think I would've had to teach you about healing _broken bones_ during our travels' He said in way of an explanation as he stepped away from her and returned to the edge of his bed as he picked up his staff.

Yulie nearly slapped herself in embarrassment when she realised what she had missed: she had been focusing on healing the damaged flesh and tendons the guy had struck never once pausing to think that it could have been worse than that.

'Is there anything else you wish to ask about before you leave?' Alastor asked staring inquisitively at the youth who had yet to move since he stepped away from her a few moments ago.

Shaking her head as she snapped out of her little day dream, Yulie sat herself down beside the blue haired Spellcaster before asking the first question that came to mind.

'Why did you guys disband? I mean, you could've just returned to Balandor or something'

Alastor had to give her credit, the girl sure was quick to recover from emotional blows. It usually took a certain Lord several days to get over a turndown.

'That was what was to originally transpire' He said as he looked back on that day. 'We were to immediately fall back to Balandor where the King would tell us himself of the, at the time, thin ice the negotiations were currently on and ask if we wished to remain in the army'

'Then why didn't you' Yulie asked in obvious confusion.

'_Sarvain_' Alastor practically spat.

'King Valtos' Aide?'

'He was the one who delivered the message to us personally. Told us to leave the battle and disband' Alastor explained. 'It was only thanks to a message from Cyrus, who had returned to Balandor not long after we first went to the borders to take command of the Castleguard that we knew about it. It was too late in reaching us but helpful all the same'

Yulie made a sound of understanding as she finally pieced several things together. She could remember the Spellcaster glaring at the Aide when they were back at the castle for some strange reason but did not know why at the time.

'We were considering leaving soon anyway' Alastor continued. 'We had only band together to seek retribution to what the Farians did to that village and had all but vented our anger on them during the border skirmishes. Once it was out of our system, we just…had enough'

'So, you just wanted to stop fighting on a _whim_?' Yulie asked as she stared at him in disbelief.

'Partially' Alastor admitted and Yulie noticed that he had tightened his grip on his staff. 'We all had our own personal reasons for wanting out. Some of us were just sick of the boundless slaughter, others thought it was just pointless'

'And you?' Yulie quickly put in before he could evade the question and immediately noticed the hesitance in his body language as he contemplated his reply.

'Have you ever heard of a _Grimoire_?' He asked quietly.

'Some sort of item that contains knowledge, right?' Yulie replied vaguely remembering hearing something like this before.

'That's what this staff is' Alastor said holding said item up so that Yulie could see its entire length. 'The _Arcanan Grimoire_: holder of the arts of Arcana lore. Only someone with the magical inheritance of the lore can wield it and learn its secrets'

Yulie could only gap in awe. In front of her was probably _the_ most powerful Spellcaster since Alastor's predecessor, the previous wielder of the Grimoire who knew how many a millennia ago. And yet, this had nothing to do with her question.

'Well that's all very interesting' Yulie started truthfully. 'But, in case you haven't noticed, you _still_ haven't answered my question.

'Well, you're sharp today' Alastor noted the corner of his mouth twitching upward.

'Just answer the question before I slug you, all powerful or not!' The firmness in her voice that told him she meant it.

Alastor stared at Yulie for a long moment, long enough for her to feel nervous under his gaze, before sighing deeply.

'I feared it corrupting me' He muttered. 'All that power, in one person's hands. You could probably do anything you wanted and no one could stop you. _Anyone_ could lose themselves in it'

Yulie could see the man's point. Arcana was said to be the first lore in existence with all other magical arts deriving from it in some way or another. If a person were to master it, they would be able to use any and all types of lore practically becoming an unstoppable force even than the supposed _Final Awakening_. It was easy to see how it could corrupt someone and Alastor knew he was no exception.

'When I wandered into Greede after the war, I had the luck of stumbling into Caesar when he was being accosted by a few thugs who worked under one of his father's rivals' Alastor continued. 'After taking care of them, he came up to me and offered me a job as his guardian providing I didn't mind the normalcy. I somehow found myself agreeing-'

'And thus, the Scion of Greede's whipping boy was hired' Yulie finished unable to help herself.

The glare Alastor sent her way did nothing to cease her now jovial mood at knowing how she could return the favour for all he had done for her so far not that he knew of it yet.

'Tell you what' She suggested shuffling closer to him as she spoke. 'Why don't you start learning Arcana lore again?'

'And what's to stop me from possibly turning into the greatest threat to the realms since the Yshrenians attempt at world domination?' Alastor countered.

'Me' Yulie replied. 'I'll knock some sense back into you whenever it looks like you're start to turn on us'

She emphasised this by lightly tapping his forehead with her knuckles.

'I really doubt your fists, no matter how powerful, would do anything more than draw attention to your intimate demise' Alastor pointed out batting away her fist.

Yulie smirked before pressing herself against him wrapping her left arm around his neck as her free hand made circular motions against his chest.

'I'm sure I'll think of something to…_distract_ you' She whispered softly as she closed the distance between them.

Alastor was too busy trying to come to grips with what Yulie was doing to notice the sudden glint in her eyes. The next second, pain erupted on the left side of his face as Yulie punched him with enough force that skeletal damage would be ensured.

'That was for lying to me about _not _being the Dark Magician. And it's what you get if you lie to me again, got it?' Yulie asked although she knew it was pointless as the Spellcaster in question was practically out for the count. 'Well, goodnight'

With that, Yulie left the unconscious Spellcaster's room and entered her own practically flinging herself onto her bed before sighing in relief. For a brief moment, she almost her nerve as she pressed up against Alastor when she realised the thin dressing gown she was wearing did nothing to dull the feel of his physique. If it were not for the fact that she needed to vent her rage for all the times he denied what she had been saying about him since the start of their journey, Yulie had a feeling sleep would have been the last thing on her mind. Especially after Kara's teasing and Caesaer's comment over who she would rather be hugging.

_**~#~#~#~**_

_Wasn't expecting to write this much for a small part of the game, but hey, more for you to read._

_Review if possible & 'til next time_

_Watch this space & peace out1_


	9. A Brief Return

**Disclaimer & note:**_ The only things I own are the words below, Alastor &__ the members of the Chaos Legion, Isaac & his partner belong to __**HubrisP **__& Dragon belongs to __**Greymon Leader**__. Everything else belongs to the people who created White Knight Chronicles._

_Enjoy!_

_**~#~#~#~**_

'Alrighty!' Caesar whooped as he stepped out of the mansion and into the weak dawn sunlight. 'Let's get to Balandor on the Balan-double!'

'Sounds like one of us is excited' Yulie noted with obvious amusement as she and the rest of the group exited the mansion behind the young Lord.

'Just don't get carried away' Eldore advised him.

'The trip will curb his enthusiasm soon enough' Alastor muttered twisting and flexing his neck to work out the kinks he still had.

'Rough night?' Yulie asked curiously catching the irritation in his voice.

'Had this pain in the jaw that kept me up half of it. No idea why' Alastor explained with a subtle glare that only Yulie caught causing the girl to look away as she bit the inside of her cheek to stop herself from grinning.

'Let's get going then' Leonard suggested as he headed towards the station. He was clearly eager to begin their journey back to Balandor to find this Medius fellow and, hopefully, find out where the Magi had taken Cisna.

Whilst everyone else followed after the boy-knight, Caesar remained behind for a moment. The young Lord gazed up at the statue of his late father, remembering all the times he had got in trouble with him and how many times the man had seen through his schemes as well as if he truly was angry at himor proud and humoured by his son's shenanigans.

'Let's go, Dragon-boy!' Alastor called out to the young Lord. 'Knight-boy's getting impatient'

Finally tearing his eyes away from the statue, Caesar jogged to catch up with his friends determined to make his father, regardless of being adopted or real, proud of him.

_**~#~#~#~**_

'So the Dragon's Ark is in their hands too' Lord Grazel surmised as he looked round at his remaining generals and lieutenants bar Dragias who was still elsewhere.

'Well, if it's with Lil-Leonard's group, you can be sure we'll cross paths with it again in the near future' Isaac consoled smirking underneath the hood of his cloak. 'I still think offing Belcitane was too much. Kinda liked the clown: he was a crafty little bastard and was unafraid to get his hands dirty doing his own work'

'He failed numerous times to capture the Knight's Ark' Shapur pointed out looking at the cloaked individual who had dared question his Lord's orders. 'A fool who cannot accomplish the task he is given is not worthy of being in our Lord's empire'

'I'd watch my tongue, if I were you, _Farian_' The other cloaked person beside Isaac spoke up as his hand begun drifting to the handle of his sword in a casual way despite the edge on his words. 'One would think you were the Emperor's Second-in-Command which you are nowhere near'

Shapur's eye shrank to a slit as his left hand jumped to the scabbard of his katana clicking the blade loose of its confinement.

'Just because High Priest Ledom vouched for you and your…_plaything_ means that you are anywhere near closer to that position to me, _Abomination_!' He spat.

'Gentlemen, your hands are on your swords' Isaac pointed out feeling a slight stirring inside of him at what may be about to happen.

'As where it should be!' Shapur snarled whereas the cloaked swordsman let his arm drop from his own weapon catching the teasing tone of his underling's words and completely spoiling the mood for him.

'Enough!' Grazel barked tiring of the spectacle before him. He had been in silence as he had gone over what the lieutenant had mentioned. 'Belcitane may no longer be with us, but one of his schemes is still in play. We can use that to our advantage'

_**~#~#~#~**_

'It's amazing how soft an empire can become after a few millennia' Isaac noted as he and his superior left the meeting room. 'The _old_ Emperor would have had his best men go out and ensure his orders were carried out to the letter. You're with me on this right?'

'The Emperor has only begun stirring after lying dormant for so long' The cloaked swordsman said apparently accepting the fact. 'We must be patient and obey our Lord until he truly awakens'

'"Patience is the key to any conflict"- blah, blah, blah. Since when have you ever been patient in a fight, _Trent the Regicide_? You kill them before we really have fun' Isaac moaned as they reached the prison cell Cisna was occupying. 'At least wait until after they find _Talion_ before going all out'

'Keep your voice down!' Trent hissed before glancing at the door to the Princess' quarters. 'We still don't know _how_ the wench is communicating with the others and leaving breadcrumbs for them'

In her room, Cisna feigned slumbering in the small cot beside the door as she listened to the two bicker like an old married couple. The word "Talion", while foreign to her ears at the same time it reminded her of something of long ago. In fact, ever since first casting the spell that had subconsciously left her lips in Balandor, allowing Leonard to wield the White Knight, She had been plagued with glimpses of memories that were not her own.

After several repeats of the experience in the ruins in the desert and caverns, Cisna had come to realise that she was experiencing what Spellcasters called Magical Inheritance: a term given to magical abilities and lore that were passed down from one generation to the next via blood relations in the same way the son of a swordsman would inherit the natural skill with a sword like his father before him. While still blurry, Cisna was able to at least ascertain that she was quite skilled in the lore she had been given. It was just the memories that came with it that were puzzling her. All she knew that it was many, many years before her time when Balandor and Faria had yet to be built.

'But she don't know where it's hidden, same as us' Isaac pointed out. 'Stop having such a hissy fit over nothing'

'She also claimed _not_ to know about the unsealing spell, yet thrice she used it for _their_ benefit not ours!' Trent countered.

'Stop being such a baby, Trent. We still have the upper hand' Isaac replied confidently remembering how easily he knocked them down as they tried to rescue the Princess once again.

Princess Cisna listened carefully in hopes of hearing more of what they were talking about as their footfalls indicated that they were walking away from her. While she understood that they needed her for her dormant abilities she had now come to the conclusion that, according to the two men, she was important to the Magi's entire operation. She could only hope that these memories told her more about her past life before it was too late and she could do naught to warn Leonard.

_**~#~#~#~**_

Three days. That was how long it had taken the group to travel from Greede to Balandor. They had taken the northern trade route that passed close to the ocean and entering the Balandor Plains just a few miles from Parma allowing Yulie to breathe a sigh of relief when she discovered that her home village had not been targeted by the Magi.

They might have reached Balandor sooner had they not have to allow several of their group to recuperate after a gruelling battle royal between Leonard, Alastor and Caesar in order to give the latter some experience which was apparently unneeded as the young Lord was just a natural controlling the Dragon Knight as Leonard was with the White Knight. It still did not stop Alastor from giving them some lessons about fighting powerful enemies as well as a few hard knocks when they got overconfident after beating _him_ the first time. The two Pactmakers learned their lesson the hard way, but it did not stop Yulie from rubbing salt on the Spellcaster's wounded pride and ego whenever she got the chance.

'So, this is the Kingdom of Balandor, huh?' Caesar marvelled as he looked around at pewter grey buildings as they passed through the arch before turning to the others. 'Thanks, guys. I appreciate you tagging along'

Once again, Caesar proved to the others that, no matter what he goes through, he would continually act the aloof, playboy Lord and Master of Greede who would always manage to get under the skin of the rest of the group in some way.

'Who's "tagging along", funny man?' Eldore questioned not a trace of humour in his voice. 'We _all_ need to find Medius and ask about the Knights'

'Oh, right. My mistake' Caesar apologised before turning to his fellow Pactmaker. 'So, Leonard, since you're the local expert, how about telling us where this Medius guy _lives_?'

'Heck if I know' The "expert" admitted. While true he had lived in Balandor longer than anyone else in the group, he barely knew anyone other than the clients Rapacci told him to visit. And that was only when he was not goofing off in the plains with Yulie.

'Some expert' Caesar huffed shaking his head in disappointment.

'Don't think you can raise your pedestal just because you have a Knight' Kara warned becoming irritated at the young Lord's antics once again and quite possibly jealousy over not being chosen to wield the Dragon Knight.

'Save that frustration for the enemy, Kara' Yulie advised the girl. 'He just wants the attention'

Caesar snapped his fingers realising he had been "found out". 'If only your hair was longer and natural, Yulie' He mock sighed. 'You would've suddenly become my latest objective after figuring me out so easily'

'And just _what_ is that supposed to mean?' Yulie growled a sudden urge to prevent the young Lord from reproducing flaring inside her.

'Save the frustration for the enemy, Yulie, he just wants the attention' Kara soothed placing a hand on the archer's shoulder.

'Enough of the tomfoolery' Alastor interrupted looking at the three of them. 'We'll just have to do it the old fashioned way: ask around, see what the people know. There's bound to be someone here who knows where the guy bides'

'You're the boss, Boss' Caesar accepted giving the Spellcaster a mock salute before making a beeline toward a small group of girls who were gathered just up the stairs to their left.

Alastor just shook his head as he headed off up the street, the all too familiar urge to knock some sense into the young Lord returning. He did not have to look over his shoulder to see that Yulie was following him.

'This is only my third time in Balandor, I'm hardly able to sneak off and do some secretive, suspicious stuff without getting lost' He muttered loud enough for the girl to hear.

'But you can still get lost' Yulie countered grinning at the thought of the blue haired Spellcaster unable to find his way back to the group.

'Are you or Leonard going to visit Rapacci while you're here?' The Spellcaster asked turning the attention away from himself.

Yulie grimaced at the question as she suddenly remembered overhearing the end part of Rapacci and Leonard's conversation when she headed to the warg's winery the morning of the day they headed off on their quest to rescue the Princess. The Warg told Leonard to make sure that he reminded the Princess, when he saved her, that he worked at Rapacci Wines therefore gaining the commendation that he should have gained had the Magi not spoiled the evening. Apparently Leonard did not tell him about how late they were in getting there with the shipment.

'Maybe _after_ we've rescued the Princess' Yulie replied. 'If we show up right now, empty handed…'

'He'll think you've just given up on the quest' Alastor finished.

'And make Leonard wish he had never been born' Yulie added.

'Can the guy be _that_ scary?' Alastor paused to ask.

The Spellcaster was evidently curious as to whether she was telling the truth or not. He had seen Leonard take on enemies and beasts several times bigger than himself yet was afraid of a simple town warg. Then again, it is sometimes noted that those who do not fear things of one size are petrified of the exact opposite.

'You…_don't_ want to know. Trust me on that' Yulie insisted remembering one time Leonard had gotten in trouble and she had been around to witness it. Not a pretty sight.

'If you say so' Alastor conceded before nodding his head in the direction of something behind her. 'What about _him_?'

Yulie spun round in time to catch sight of a familiar youth with spiky red hair duck back behind the corner.

The youth in question had noticed the two not long ago after recognising Yulie, who was easily the most recognisable girl her age with her attire _without_ her reputation as a wild spirit even the bravest of men dared not tame lest they run the risk of losing part of their anatomy. Granted, it was wrong of him to spy, the youth could not help but both wonder and admire the blue haired man she was talking to and if he knew what he was getting into when the man caught him watching them. He only hoped that he was quick enough hiding before Yulie caught sight of him.

'Can I help you with something?' The voice of the man Yulie was talking to drifting over his shoulder making him whirl round in shock as he tried to figure out how he got there.

'Uh-no, sorry-it's just that your girlfriend-I mean friend whose a girl' He corrected when the man glowered at him. 'She reminded me of someone I know and I thought-'

'Dragon!'

The youth, who was apparently called Dragon, practically jumped a mile when Yulie suddenly appeared round the corner from where she and Alastor had been conversing.

'I thought that was you. How you been' She greeted him.

'Uh…hey, Yulie' Dragon greeted nervously.

'Don't worry about Alastor, he's all bark no bite' Yulie comforted the youth assuming his nervousness was due to the Spellcaster's permanent frown.

While Alastor was irked by the girl's comment about him being weak, he was sure that this Dragon fellow's nervousness was not due to his presence. Unless he was wrong, the youth was blushing slightly and it was definitely not because of him. At least, he hoped it was not.

'If you want me to leave you two…' He offered clearly seeing that the youths knew each other somehow and might want to discuss things without him being the third wheel.

'Nah, we're just friends' Yulie stated clearly missing the cringing look flash across Dragon's face as she said that. 'Dragon used to work with me and Leonard'

'Is that so?' Alastor inquired a tad interested in the youth now. 'Who frightened you away, Yulie or Rapacci?'

'Hey!'

Dragon's admiration for Alastor went up a notch as well as a pang of jealousy. To be able to witness someone tease Yulie without fear of suffering her wrath was thought to be non-existent, yet this man had done it easily as if it was second nature.

'I just felt that it wasn't my thing so I quit and joined the Guild, I've got a good sword arm' Dragon shrugged patting the sword at his waist.

'And a lot of common sense' The Spellcaster added.

'Yeah, that as well' Dragon admitted blushing slightly as he realised what Alastor was referring to.

'What the hell are you two talking about? And don't either of you dare to make a comment about it being _over my head_' Yulie added giving the two the evil eye as if actually daring someone to do just that.

Alastor and Dragon smartly decided not to go there as they both knew how deadly the girl could be.

'Okay, enough small talk-and I'm not talking about you're height' Alastor added to Yulie before the girl could react to the unintended pun. 'We're looking for a guy called Medius; do you know where he might live?'

Dragon drummed his fingers against his chin as he racked his memory for the name. He remembered hearing of it before a couple of years ago. It had something to do with a missing person if he was right. He snapped his fingers as the memory suddenly came back to him: Medius had put in a request for someone to find his missing son who had disappeared in Balastor Plain near the caves the mountain trolls had claimed as their territory. Those who accepted the job-

'He lives in a house with a blue roof, although I can't remember where exactly in Balandor it was' He answered remembering what he could of the client's address. 'I think you can see it from the main road as you head towards the gate leading to Balastor Plain'

'There can't be that many houses with blue roofs' Alastor mused noting that practically all buildings in the area had _red tiled_ roofs.

'At least we've got something to go with' Yulie put in optimistically. 'Thanks for help, Dragon, you're the best'

Dragon could only scratch the back of his head as he blushed at the girl's praise.

'Let's go find the others' She suggested to Alastor.

'Um, actually…' Dragon spoke up. 'Is it okay if I pester Alastor some more? You know, man-talk'

Yulie could not help but snort. The way Dragon said it, sounded as if she was Alastor's- The girl mentally shook her head to rid herself of the thought. While it was okay to think of such things privately, she did not want to be caught thinking about it in public. Especially if Kara were to find out and give her more to tease her with.

'Just as long as the two of you stay here, he gets lost easily' Yulie told her friend before darting off to find the others.

'Why that little…' Alastor growled unable to believe the nerve of the archer for what she had just said.

'So how long have you known Yulie' Dragon asked evidently curious about the two's relationship.

'Over a week, give or take' Alastor shrugged as he leaned against the wall. In truth, he had not kept track of the time since the whole thing began. 'And we're _not_ together, with emphasis on "not"'

'So she's still…'

Dragon left the question hanging knowing full well that Alastor knew what he was talking about. While working for Rapacci, despite having feelings for her himself, Dragon could see that Yulie was infatuated with Leonard. During the course of his time on the job, he had made several attempts to show Yulie that there were other men out there, including himself, only to duck out at the last minute.

'Nope, she's finally realised it. It's just coming to terms with it that's the problem now' Alastor told the youth before telling him, with great reluctance, about when he had told the girl himself to find another man and what had happened after they had left the Nordia Tunnels managing to tell it without having to explain about their quest.

Dragon gave a low whistle as the Spellcaster talked. He knew that Yulie would have found out eventually, but to hear that the object of her affection was besotted with the _Princess _of all people, there was probably no way of competing against someone like her even if the feelings were not reciprocated.

'What I don't get, is how could a guy _not_ notice his female best friend bloom into such a flower, no matter how wild she is' Alastor said unable to figure it out. 'His head must be thicker than earth dragon hide and that's saying something'

Depending on the element, dragon hide, while being one of the most resilient forms of leather when done correctly, tended to take on some of the qualities of its bearer. Therefore, earth dragon hide would obviously be more tougher to penetrate than any other brand.

'Hear-hear' Dragon agreed whole-heartedly having once felt the urge to smack the aforementioned youth upside the head after once witnessing Yulie "trip" into Leonard sending the two of them to the floor. Despite having literally draped over her best friend, all Yulie got was a telling off from Leonard about watching where she stepped as he pushed her off of him. Anyone else, Dragon included, would have done something else entirely.

'Oi!' Alastor called out shaking Dragon from his daydream.

'Oh, sorry' Dragon apologised scratching the back of his head in embarrassment before realising something about what Alastor had just said. 'You know, the way you said that, it sounds like you-'

'It wasn't supposed to' Alastor interrupted with an edge that told Dragon he was treading dangerous waters.

'I beg to differ' Dragon pressed regardless. 'You look like the kind of guy who prefers going alone yet you teamed up with someone else. Not to mention, you're unafraid to openly tease her regardless of consequences and _survive_ which is no easy feat'

'She bugs me, I'm just returning the favour' Alastor said as if it explained everything-which it did, to him at least.

'Fair enough' Dragon accepted before pressing his point. 'But you're the only one I've seen her tease asides Leonard, if you know what I mean'

For once, as far as he was aware, Alastor was rendered speechless as he caught what Dragon was implying. Noticing this, Dragon clapped his new friend on the shoulder before heading off as he noticed Yulie returning with the rest of her group and believed now was the time to disappear.

'I'll admit, I'm jealous of you but I also reckon you're probably the only one who could survive a relationship with her'

Having said his piece, Dragon quickly took off down the street seeing how the Spellcaster's look darkened considerable and he did not want to find out how good he was with magic.

'Damn!' Caesar whistled watching the youth scarper off. 'What the heck did you do to him, Al?'

'Yulie said I was harmless' Alastor shrugged pretending nothing had happened. 'I was just proving her wrong'

_**~#~#~#~**_

'A house with a blue roof' Leonard muttered under his breath as he gazed over the rooftops his eyes could see from the main road. 'Blue roof, blue roof …'

'Make sure you don't accidently mistaken Al for the roof' Caesar called over from the other side of the road.

'Look with your eyes, not your mouth' Kara scolded him nearly slapping the young Lord complied with her order except on herself.

'Is that it?' Yulie called out as she pointed over the sea of red rooftops at the sole splotch of blue in the area. It was indeed a blue tiled roof. Not to mention the _only_ blue roof in what was probably all of Balandor sans the castle itself.

Now that the house was found, the trick now was trying to get to it. After several wrong turns and a few backtracks, plus Caesar going the entirely wrong way when several beautiful girls walked by, the group finally found themselves at the front door of the blue tiled roof. However, while they managed to find it, it appeared to be vacant as nobody answered the door despite Leonard's continuous pounding.

'If it's not one thing, it's something else' Alastor grumbled twirling his staff allowing the light to catch and reflect onto the ground.

'Perhaps we came at a wrong time' Eldore reasoned.

'Are you looking for someone?' The group turned as one to see a middle-aged woman looking at them curiously apparently about to clean a bundle of cloth.

'Yes, we heard a man called Medius lives here?' Leonard explained jumping down the steps towards her hoping she was going to tell him that he was out and would be back soon.

Her answer unfortunately was anything but helpful.

'I suppose you didn't know' The woman sighed sadly putting down her wash basket. 'Medius passed away just last year'

The exclamations and looks from the group were all it took to show their dismay at the turn of events. Easy enough to understand having come all this way just to find that the one person who could possibly set them on the next step of their quest has already passed on and had been pushing up daisies for nearly a year.

'Guess I'm never gonna find out where I came from, huh' Caesar joked weakly.

'Yeah, the plague got him. He was such a good man' The woman explained apparently a friend with the deceased man.

'Well, this was waste of time' Alastor grumbled.

Leonard whole-heartedly agreed. They could have been trying to find out where the nearest ruins were from Greede that the Magi could have taken Cisna to next and possibly succeed in rescuing her. Yet instead they had practically gone backwards ending up further away from her.

'Are you folks friends of Medius?' The woman asked now curious as to who was visiting the man. 'Maybe you'd like to meet with Setti, his son?'

'He had a son?' Eldore asked as if making sure he was hearing things properly while the rest of the group apart from Kara and Alastor began to get their hopes up again.

'Do you know where we could find him?' Yulie asked.

The woman took a moment to think about Yulie's question. Setti had a tendency to disappear for long periods at a time only to reappear unannounced sometimes in the middle of the night.

'He might've gone to the caves in the south, looking for rocks?' She told them. 'But he's been gone these past two, three days. I do hope he's all right'

'Terrific: one dies from disease, the other buried alive' Alastor muttered barely audible for anyone to hear.

'Sounds like life itself wants to stop us' Kara agreed.

'Oh nah, I needn't worry about that one' The woman assured regardless of whether she had overheard the conversation or not.

'By caves, ma'am, you mean the cluster in the south of Balastor Plain?' Eldore inquired after frowning at Alastor and Kara.

'Aye, that's them' The woman confirmed before suddenly realising what she was doing. 'Listen to me gab away like I don't have a thousand things to do! Well, best of luck finding him. Good day'

With that the woman picked up her basket and headed off towards the well a quick pace despite carrying a big load.

'Caves? Doing what? Lookin' for _rocks_?' Caesar questioned wondering if this Setti guy was a little round the bend.

'Might be looking for minerals and ore _inside_ the rocks' Alastor put in. 'Quite a lot of coin if you're lucky'

'Come on' Caesar snorted. 'I bet he's inside the house right now havin' a good laugh at our expence'

'No. I can tell you no one is in that home right now' Eldore stated confidently.

Caesar stared carefully at Eldore out of the corner of his eye.

'You sound pretty sure about it' He told the Swordmage evidently suspicious of the old man.

'Indeed I am' Eldore mysteriously replied.

Caesar turned to stare at Eldore more carefully as the old man in question looked away. The young Lord's eyebrows furrowed as he seemed to concentrate on something before just giving up and looking away.

'Interesting' He muttered to himself.

'Come on' Leonard called out to them already on his way towards the gate to Balastor plains with the others following in close pursuit. 'The cave's not far away'

'I thought you weren't an expert on these parts' Caesar claimed as the two caught up with the others.

'Well I am…sort of' Leonard confessed while Yulie shook her head at her friend's carelessness.

While the two of them did explore every inch of the Plain over the course of their childhood, neither of them had ever ventured near the area where the caves were due to the fact that mountain trolls roamed the area. And they did not have the Knight until recently as well as the fact that Rapacci would skin both of them alive if he ever found about them even thinking about it.

'Guess we'll just have to search around until we find the right caves' Eldore suggested.

'But that could take days!' Leonard practically whined.

'Not unless someone, who knows where the caves are, tags along'

Caesar was the first person to find and recognise the one who had just spoke. It was unsure how long he had been there or if his appearance was just a quirk of fate, but Dragon had somehow managed to bump into Yulie and her group again this time also sporting a lethal looking greatsword on his back.

'I really don't think that hunk of iron on your back will do anything to survive against Alastor'

'Oh, I'm not here to pick a fight or anything' Dragon assured the young Lord despite feeling nervous around Alastor after his parting words last time. 'This is just to help whenever I've got big opponents, if you know what I mean'

Oh, Caesar knew what Dragon was talking about as well as everybody else in the group having come up against several big opponents almost every day.

'I'm on my way to meet a client not far from the caves you mentioned, If you want, I can join you for a bit until we have to part ways' The red headed swordsman offered.

The group could see no harm in allowing the youth to help them get as far as the caves in question although Kara frowned a bit apparently disliking the fact that their once small group was becoming more of an anyone can join party. There was a bit of concern as to whether or not reveal that Leonard and Caesar wielded the Knights, but decided to just wait and see what was in store for them during this leg of their journey.

There was little to worry about as there was only polkan and kibbles to be seen as they began the trek towards the caves to the south of the plain and they only joined in battles never starting their own. Thus, with no immediate sign of an upcoming battle, Caesar decided to go back onto an old favourite pastime of his: annoying his former bodyguard.

'So, you're okay with this Dragon fellow tagging along?' The young Lord asked of the Spellcaster who was already beginning to feel the tell-tale signs of a headache approaching at what was to come.

'Get to the point of your little game or keep that tongue behind closed lips, unless you want to lose it' Alastor warned preferring that whatever Caesar was up to was over and done with before the young Lord wound up reuniting with his father.

'Well, Dragon seems to harbour feelings for our resident hothead. Wouldn't that make him your rival for her-' Caesar suddenly froze up as Alastor gave him a death glare that literally stopped him in his tracks.

'Not. Another. Word' Was all the Spellcaster said before following after the group leaving the young Lord to shake of the feeling of paralysis holding him in place.

'Yep, I've still got it' Caesar boasted to himself. He could not help but smile as he realised that, while the subject was highly volatile, he now had something else to tease his former bodyguard with. The trick now was how to go about it without losing his head in the process.

_**~#~#~#~**_

_Review if possible & 'til next time_

_Watch this space & peace out!_


	10. A Knight's Origin

_Disclaimers on chapter 1_

**~#~#~#~**

'Timber!' Caesar joked as the last troll collapsed after being dealt the deathblow from Dragon's greatsword hitting the ground with enough force to catch everyone of balance for a second.

The group had finally made it through the plain to the small mountain path that led to the trolls territory where Setti was currently excavating. Unfortunately, some of the twenty-odd foot locals noticed their arrival and were intent on giving them a proper greeting given to all those who entered their territory.

Before Leonard or Caesar could transform, Dragon had stepped forward whilst drawing his greatsword from its resting place on his back wordlessly relaying that he would take care of them. Caesar, however, decided to have a little more fun and suggested that Alastor help out unless he was not up to the challenge. Despite glaring at the young Lord when realising what he was up to, the Spellcaster complied and began taking down the three trolls with Dragon.

'And after that impressive display, the Red Dragon wins by taking down two trolls to the Blue Mage's one. Clearly, this young swordsman is more than just dragon in name' Caesar proclaimed acting as commentator.

'If he doesn't shut up, I'm going to perform a disappearing trick on his ass!' Alastor muttered under his breath as he walked away from the troll he had beaten by multiple fire and wind spells to the head.

'Now, now, accept defeat like a man' Yulie mock scolded him the teasing grin on her face preventing her from looking serious.

Before the irritated Spellcaster could reply, a guttural roar was heard before one of the three supposedly dead trolls suddenly got up and swung its great fist down at him. Jumping back to avoid the appendage that smashed the ground where he once stood, Alastor quickly fired off a piercing spell at the troll cutting straight through the soft tissue in its mouth and continued out the back of its head.

'And in a sudden turn of events, Alastor steals away one of Dragon's kills for his own making him the clear victor!" Caesar continued as the troll collapsed again, this time for good, until glares from the Spellcaster and females of the group wisely made him shut up.

Dragon was stuck between staring at the young Lord for sounding completely free of care in the face of being in troll territory in disbelief and at the Spellcaster in awe for taking down a troll with one shot.

'It was just a lucky shot' Alastor shrugged as he turned his back on Caesar. 'Dragon had already weakened it anyway, probably only just survived his attack'

'That sounded more honest that your last brag back when we first started' Yulie noted 'Something about knowing a whole tomes worth, was it?'

'Definitely more than you know, even before we first met' Alastor threw back.

'Well at least I don't have to _pretend_ to be humble' Yulie said with emphasis on the word pretend to make sure the Spellcaster knew what she was talking about.

'Come again?' Caesar inquired making sure he had heard right. If it was teasing material to use on his favourite bodyguard, he just had to know.

'Nothing!' Alastor said as he clasped Yulie's mouth shut with one hand while glaring at the others silently telling them to keep shut about it or face the consequences.

Despite already deciding to just keep quiet about it before the Spellcaster spoke up, the others wisely kept their mouth shut although Caesar looked disappointed at not getting more blackmail material on the Spellcaster in question. Dragon, while being clueless about what was going on, had caught the smile and faint blush on Yulie's face when Alastor released the girl and shoved her away from him.

'According to the request notes, Medius' son was found in the cave that had an entrance near a waterfall, like that one' Dragon said while indicating the cave in question that was just downhill from them. 'Do you think you can do it without me?'

'We'll manage' Leonard stated confidently. 'Thanks for your help'

'No problem' Dragon brushed off it had been fun to catch up with some old friends of his no matter how short it was.

He was half way back along the path before remembering something and wheeling back round to face them.

'Good luck, Alastor!' he yelled to the Spellcaster before hightailing it back along the path. Even from a distance, that glare was rather intimidating.

'What did he mean by that?' Yulie asked the Spellcaster in question who was still glaring at the warrior who had disappeared over the hill.

'No idea' Alastor lied as he started following Leonard towards the cave where Setti was supposed to be. He knew exactly what Dragon was talking about and was trying his best _not_ to think about it.

Yulie almost pouted at his words evidently wanting to know if what Dragon was talking about had something to do with her. It would at least assure the girl that he had feelings her but until she found out, she was left in the dark.

'There's nothing worse than not knowing' Kara said to her although whether she meant that in a teasing or consoling way was anyone's guess.

'I have _no_ idea what you're talking about' Yulie stated completely unaware of how similar the situation between Alastor and herself as she began walking further ahead so that Kara could not see the blush on her cheeks.

Kara let a quiet chuckle out as she followed the three leaving just Caesar and Eldore to catch up. The former taking this chance to strike up a conversation with the wizened Swordmage.

'So, Eldore' The young Lord began lightly. 'You gonna tell us who you are?'

Eldore stopped in his tracks to look at the young Lord before turning away letting his head hang slightly.

'Ever since I got the Ark, things have started to look kind of different to me' Caesar explained seeming to go slightly off topic. 'It's like…I see through dragon's eyes now'

In short, wielding the Dragon Knight apparently bestowed Caesar with an ability dragons have that allowed them to see through the shell of man and look into the soul to see the real man before them for who and what he was.

They told, or more precisely showed him of how Alastor was troubled about a missing piece of his past and the power he wielded; of Leonard's infatuation with the Princess and how deep it went; of Yulie's budding feelings for a certain Spellcaster, which would have been great teasing material had it also not shown him her lethal left hook; It did not tell him much about Kara, but he would soon rectify that, with or without the eye; As for Eldore…

'How do I put this…You sort of…jump out at me now' Caesar muttered trying to find words for what he saw. 'I look at you and…there's somethin' about you that just seems a bit off kilter, you know? No offense'

'I'm just a humble travelling man' Eldore brushed off. 'You're talking nonsense, my boy. No one has the power to look into another's heart'

With that he continued walking evidently not wanting to listen to anymore useless words spewing from the young Lord's mouth.

'Nonsense? Thanks a lot…' He huffed before following after him.

**~#~#~#~**

'Let's hope Setti's in here' Leonard said as they entered the cavern tunnel.

While wide enough for them to easily enter, it hardly looked as if anyone would come through here without a lantern or some sort of light source. It became apparent to how someone would come through when they turned the corner and found that the minerals embedded into the wall faces were reflective enough that sunlight bounced off it from one piece to the next creating a dim glow that allowed all to see what was in front of them for quite a distance.

'While we're at it, let's hope he's in one piece' Yulie added before Alastor could say anything negative along the lines of Setti being here yet no longer among the living.

'Sounds like Mr Sunshine here is beginning to rub off on someone. But is that in the literal or metaphorical way?' Caesar joked waggling his eyebrows suggestively.

It did not take the Dragosight to show Caesar that the smile Yulie was giving him indicate he would be in a world of hurt if he continued with the topic. And here he thought Alastor could be scary, this girl was ten times worse and she was not even frowning yet.

A guttural roar up ahead told the group that something was happening and they immediately quickened their pace whilst hoping that whatever was happening did not include who they were searching for. Moments later found them coming out of a tunnel onto a cavern where the sunlight was shining down through a large hole in the roof and multiple tunnels leading off in all directions making it impossible to detect which way the noise was coming from.

'Over there!' Yulie suddenly yelled pointing to one of the tunnels.

Rushing out of the tunnel was a dark haired lad around Alastor's age, give or take a few years, wearing travelling clothes normally used by travelling scholars and a rucksack that was bouncing haphazardly off his back as he tried to lose the three trolls pursuing him. The troll closest to the running human brought its club down hitting the ground behind the lad hard enough that the shockwave knocked him off his feet.

Rolling onto his back, the scholar uselessly covered his face with his arms waiting for one of the trolls to deal the final blow. It never came as it had been stopped halfway by a giant suit of armour resembling a black, avian humanoid.

'The Black Knight! Why is he here?' Leonard snarled as he watched Dragias brush away the club with one hand before lashing out at the three trolls.

'Reinforcements, huh?' Caesar asked evidently not aware of the whole picture surrounding the Black Knight and his past with the group.

Swiftly finishing off the three trolls, Dragias turned round to face the group only to bring his rapier up to block an attack from Leonard who had quickly transformed in hopes of launching a surprise attack. The collision of the two Knights blades created a brief blinding light that caused the others to step back as they covered their eyes.

'Aren't we on the same team?' Caesar asked in confusion.

Yulie quickly instructed the lad to leave his burst rucksack and find cover before turning on Caesar. 'There's no time right now to explain but the Black Knight is our enemy. You have to help Leonard!'

It was easy to see where this concern was coming from. The last time the two had truly traded blows, it was a stalemate. Now, in a cavern smaller than the last one they fought in, Leonard would surely be at a disadvantage unless he had help from a fellow Knight.

'This is getting complicated…' Caesar whined despite agreeing to the archer's command.

With both Leonard _and _Caesar to combat against, not even Dragias could possibly hold his own. Yet, despite the odds against him, he managed to parry and even counter the two Knights attacks against him.

He would strike at Caesar's spear thrusts with sweeping motions of his rapier hitting the trident edge and sending him off balance and focus on attacking Leonard's right side whenever the White Knight made any attacks against him. Despite his skill however, he was unable to land a proper blow as the other would quickly ward off the strikes making it once again an even match.

Stepping back after a lethal jab just missed him, Dragias was about to attempt to strike again when he noticed that he was now covered in a dark reddish aura. Across the cavern, both Leonard and Caesar were also experiencing the same phenomena as they began glowing light blue and purple respectively.

'**What's with the light show?**' Caesar asked looking from himself to Leonard and Dragias then back again.

'The Knights' power… It's _resonating_!' Eldore exclaimed realising what was happening.

'What does that mean?' Yulie asked unable to tear her eyes away from the light show.

'Their Knights must be sending out mana waves, making each other stronger' Alastor quickly explained.

Mana waves were, in layman's terms, basically the power levels of spells being cast. It would be much like a fireball proclaiming how powerful it was and how much damage it would do. A Spellcaster with enough training could easily sense this enabling them to come up with a counter. While going up against another fireball of equal power would just wipe one another out, the mana waves emitted from the Incorrupti however seemed to somehow strengthen one another instead of cancel each other out.

'**I feel…**_**stronger**_**!**' Leonard exclaimed as he felt the power coursing through him. His amazement did not last long as Dragias had decided to resume their fight and had come at him quicker than usual, perhaps due to the resonance, and yet, despite his surprise, Leonard still blocked it with ease.

No matter what kind of boost to the Knights' abilities, the battle was still even, it just the damage and destruction to the cavern that worsened. Every time one of the Knights weapons collided with the ground or cavern walls, huge pieces would be sent flying or turned to dust. In one instance, Alastor practically grabbed and threw Yulie from one side of the cavern to another by the collar of her tunic when a large boulder went careering in her direction due to Caesar's spear smashing against the wall.

Seeing as continuing their battle could result in his being buried were they to start a cave in, Dragias once again wisely decided to take flight and flew out the skylight in the cavern roof. There was always next time anyway.

With the threat no longer around, the two remaining Knights reverted back into their smaller forms where Caesar immediately asked the question that was bugging him the most.

'Who was that guy in black armour?'

'One of the Magi. But unlike the rest of them, he can turn into a knight' Yulie explained. 'He murdered Balandor's king'

'Black Knight, black armour, bad guys. Got it' Caesar nodded in understanding.

'Rather childish way of remembering things, but for you it seems suitable' Kara mocked as she came into view from the tunnel. She somehow managed to take a wrong turn and had to back track slightly in order to find them.

'At least he doesn't need someone to hold his hand so that he doesn't get lost' Alastor defended matching the glare Kara was now sending his way with one of his own.

'I don't know how to thank you all. You saved me' The scholar stated as he came round from behind the tunnel corner he had hidden in and joined their group.

'The Black Knight saved you' Leonard stated sounding angry and confused about it. 'Why would he do that?'

It was a good point. With the fact that this young man could be Setti, the one person who could bring them back on track to rescuing the princess, would it not have been better for Dragias to just leave the man to his demise?

'Well I certainly don't know' The man replied the parting in his long hair allowed the group to see his one eye full of confusion much like the rest of them. 'But those black wings. That could only be _Dinivas_, the Black Incorruptus Knight from the Dogma War!'

It was pretty clear that the man before them was indeed Setti as people who not only knew what a Knight was but also where it came from had to be extremely rare in this day and age.

'So you _do_ know about the Knights' Leonard stated as he looked at the man who appeared to be nothing but skin and bone as well as looking slightly pale probably due from not seeing sunlight very often.

'Quite a bit. And now I've been rescued by one!' Setti exclaimed suddenly looking slightly paler. 'That day must be drawing near. The day that father feared so much…'

The only "day" that Setti was talking about was the "Final Awakening" Eldore had mentioned in the tunnels. Despite knowing what this day was and what it required, the how and why behind it all still eluded the group.

'Yeah? Tell us more' Caesar practically demanded evidently hoping it would shed some light on why he had to be raised by the late Count Drisdall instead of possibly being looked after by his real parents.

'Very well' Setti agreed. 'But first, let's return to town. What I'm going to tell you may require more comfort than what this cavern can supply'

'In other words, this is going to be quite a long tale' Alastor muttered under his breath.

**~#~#~#~**

'…You see, before my father Medius died, he told me all about the secrets of the Knights' Setti explained once everyone had gotten comfy in the main room of his abode. 'As you know, the Knights are weapons of war, sprung from an ancient wisdom. These Ancients, their technology truly defies modern understanding'

They could all attest to that, Leonard and Caesar especially. The Knights, or Incorrupti as they were called back in the day, were possibly the greatest of creations combining magic and ancient machinery together. And yet, despite the technological prowess, the country of their creation faded from existence.

'As sophisticated as they were, however, the Ancients still needed a fuel for their Knights, something with which to power them'

'Fuel?' Leonard echoed in confusion. 'You mean like, as in those furnaces used to drive the trains in Greede?'

Setti shook his head before continuing his explanation. 'A Knight is like a suit of armour; it cannot act on its own. To move, to _fight_, each Knight requires the power of a _person's soul_'

'What?' Yulie asked sure that she was hearing things.

'That would make sense' Alastor stated from the corner of the room as if trying to act like a shadow. 'You put a person in a normal suit of armour to use it so it's basically just the same principals for a Knight, I suppose'

'So wait, let me see if I've got this right. We've been lending our souls so that they can fight?' Caesar queried.

'Essentially, yes' Setti nodded. 'A Pactmaker with the right qualities offers his soul, and the Knight is transformed into the mightiest of warriors'

Leonard and Caesar looked at each other in pure shock and amazement. Out of all the people in the realms, they apparently had the right qualities to wield these weapons of ancient times. For both of them to acquire their Knights within a week of unlocking them, the odds were too high to count. Caesar did not seem to think so and just shrugged it off before turning to look at Setti when the scholar began talking again.

'Of course, the men who made these invincible weapons; they feared that the Pactmakers might turn on them'

'Powerful things like that? They were bound to add a failsafe to prevent something like that from happening' Alastor snorted. 'So, what was theirs?'

'They used the souls of newborn infants' Setti told them just the way he said it indicated how disgusted he was with the idea.

Even though it was a cruel method, it did have merits. As time would go on, the awakened Knight would learn things itself through battle experience. Not only that, but by using babies, the Knights would lack any proper intelligence and would automatically think their creator was their father effectively preventing anyone from trying to capture or reprogram them.

'So they turned babies into _killing machines_?' Caesar asked in disbelief. 'That's evil, man'

'What kind of war was this?' Leonard asked he knew little about the war in question save the snippets Eldore had told him since they had begun their hunt for the Magi and their prisoner.

'A long time ago, during a time now known as the _Dogma Age_, two great forces struggled for control of the world. They were called _Yshrenia_ and _Athwan_' Setti began as he rose from his seat over to a bookshelf searching for a particular item. 'Their fortunes waxed and waned, but neither could ever gain the upper hand'

Picking up several scrolls of parchment, Setti returned to the table and let the first scroll unroll itself. While faded and hard to make out in several places, the scroll depicted a huge battle between white and black figures. The most, if not all, of the white figures appeared to be Spellcasters judging by the pale blue balls being fired or charged in the picture indicating that the Yshrenians were the black figures that wielded shields, swords and spears.

'In a bid to finish the war once and for all, Yshrenia created the _Knights_. And just like that the tides changed'

A second scroll was unrolled. This one first showed a Knight being put together on the lower half whilst those chosen to become the power source for the Knight were depicted above being hailed like royalty for their sacrifice an ample word seeing as the scroll shows them being drained of their life force until they are naught but bones. Further along the scroll showed several Knights fully functioning and marching what was presumably to the front lines.

'Before long Athwan stood on the brink of defeat. But the Athwani forces made one, last desperate counter-attack. At the price of many lives, they used "sealing magic" to entrap the Yshrenian Knights'

Another scroll was unrolled, this one going in the opposite direction evidently to show the opposing side of the war. One third of the scroll showed a single white person surrounded by six others then doubled for the next circle. A ring surrounded the gathering trailing off to surround the collapsed forms of the Yshrenian Knights that held another third while the last section had black figures either wailing at the sight of their trump card falling or just plain retreating.

'Without their superweapons, the Yshrenians were over whelmed by the Athwani Spellcasters. Now it was their turn to be pushed to the edge of defeat. However before the Athwani could finish off their foes, they _turned against each other_ and their empire collapsed into civil war'

'Eventually both civilizations, Yshrenia and Athwani alike, faded away' Setti finished as he sat back down again. 'For all their sacrifices, neither side gained the ultimate victory; in the end their bloody struggle was all in vain'

He barely managed to refrain from jumping at the sight of Eldore glaring daggers at him. Apparently, being part Spellcaster, the old man favoured the Athwani and did not like the way he had described their demise. A hidden smirk appeared as he jotted it down in his memory for later days.

'And now the Knights art free again' Leonard concluded evidently thinking that it could not be mere coincidence that they should awaken during his and Caesar's time.

'So it seems. The dogma age did end with no victor' Setti agreed. 'However, the oracles prophesised a final battle would be fought ten millennia later'

'So their choosing _now_ to have some sort of rematch?' Alastor threw out coming to the conclusion that the ten thousand year bridge was just about crossed. 'How when the only remaining artifacts of that time are several suits of oversized armour'

'The souls of the Yshrenian emperor, _Madoras_, and the Athwani queen, _Mureas_, would both re-emerge, and settle their great conflict once and for all'

'So the Magi are working for one of them?' Yulie asked seeing as there could be no other reason why they were searching for the Knights although the reason behind the princess' capture still had to be revealed.

'And these prophesies, you think they're coming true _now_?' Leonard added.

'I do, on both theories. It is what Father feared more than anything else' Setti replied turning to look at a picture of his father wistfully wishing that he were here to explain further what was going on.

'So wait. Maybe…' Caesar paused to think through what was jumbled around in his head before voicing his pondering. 'Is that why Medius put me in someone else's care?'

Setti shook his head to purge himself of his lamenting before looking seriously at the group. 'I'm sorry but that answer will have to wait. Someone has been watching me these last few days'

The group instantly became more alert. If they had found Setti, then it should have been unsurprising that the Magi had also found him.

'We need to leave and the sooner the better' Setti declared.

'And where exactly could we go?' Alastor asked of the scholar. 'We don't really have a break on where the Magi are going next or where the next Knight is'

'The place where it all began: _Sinca Village_'

He did not show it, but upon mention of the village Alastor felt something tug at the edge his mind as if it was something he should know yet somehow did not. Caesar and Leonard apparently felt that way also except it was much more familiar to them as well as new.

'You'll understand once your there. About the Knights…and more' Setti explained catching the looks of confusion on the Pactmakers faces before pressing on. 'We must hurry. Our only defense against the crisis Father feared is knowledge'

'I have to prepare for the journey. Meet me at the East Gate of Balandor' Setti told them as he stood up. 'Please go now!'

'Alright. We'll meet you there' Leonard quickly agreed as he and the others stood also. 'Be careful'

'You as well' Setti returned as he watched them pass by until all but Eldore had yet to leave.

'You haven't revealed who you really are' The words stopped the Swordmage in his tracks as he stared at Setti in confusion. 'Well, it won't stay secret for long'

Eldore frowned slightly before continuing after the rest of the group leaving Setti looking at the ground so that his smirk was hidden by his red scarf.

**~#~#~#~**

By the time the group had first returned to Balandor for Setti's explanation, the sun was only just starting to set. Even after replenishing their supplies and getting their weapons checked and prepared, the sun was still hanging over the town when they reached the rendezvous. But with the sun gone and the twilight hours upon them, they could not help but worry.

'Do you think he's okay?' Yulie voiced what was passing through each of their minds quietly as if not trying to tempt fate.

'You know, he was kind of weird. All that prophecy stuff...' Caesar muttered aloud looking back on the scholar in question. 'And my Dragonsight doesn't work on him either'

'Did you try your Dragon_mouth_? Dragon_nose_, perhaps?' Eldore suggested evidently still nettled by the young Lord's nosiness from on the plain earlier'

Alastor rolled his eyes at the pair before returning to his own thoughts. Ever since the scholar had mentioned Sinca village, the Spellcaster could not help but look back to the time when he was asked by his teacher to go to some village on the edge of the Van Haven Wastelands. While there were many villages that dotted the outskirts of the land, he could not for the life in him remember the name of the village he was supposed to go to as if it kept darting back into the recesses of his mind the moment he found it.

Yulie had noticed the Spellcaster deep in thought and was about to ask if something was wrong before the sound of hurried footsteps came their way. Looking round, hoping to see Setti hurrying towards them, they were surprised to see a townsman running towards them crying for help.

'What is it?' Eldore asked the panicking man when he got close enough.

'There's been an explosion in the south district. A man was killed in the blast!'

The group barely glanced at each other to see they were all thinking the same thing: _Setti's house_ was in the south district! Even from where they were standing, a huge pillar of black smoke could now be seen rising from just around where the scholar's dwellings should recide.

By the time they got there, there was barley anything recognizable of the house amidst the towering flames and black smoke rising into the sky.

'What happened? You think it was the Magi's doing?' Leonard asked staring at the flames.

'But why would they?' Yulie asked in return.

'To keep us off their trail. Whatever's in Sinca must be key to stopping them' Alastor surmised. Assassination always was the best way to silence those who hinder and block one's progress.

'Nothing could have survived that' Kara stated feeling the intense heat of the flames even from where they were standing.

Yulie let her gaze slide upwards as she turned to the moon for support. This had been their best lead yet and had believed that they were finally ahead of the Magi in some way only for it to literally go up in flames. Her eyes never reached the open sky as the caught sight of a bigelow perched on the roof of a nearby home that was staring at them.

This one was neither of Eldore's as its feathers were of a dark brown in colour. As the rest of the group caught sight of what had caught Yulie's eye, the bigelow took off through the town making sure it kept to the roads so that they could follow it to wherever or whoever it was taking them to.

'End of the line, bird' Caesar stated when they reached a dead end with the bigelow perching on top of an empty barrel. 'Now who do you work for?'

As if waiting for someone to ask that, the bigelow opened its connection to its mate. A blue ghostly image of a man in his early twenties could be seen. While it was hard to depict eye and hair colour, his clothing obviously suggested that the man was indeed of noble blood judging by the way he held himself in his chair.

'Greetings. My name is Grazel. So nice to speak with you' The image introduced himself as if their meeting was just an ordinary occurrence. 'I am the leader of a little organisation which you like to call the Magi'

Leonard growled wanting nothing more than the image to be the real thing so he could show the man his anger for all the pain he had brought on Cisna and taking her away from him.

'I imagine you must be very worried about your precious princess. I know I would be' Grazel continued as if knowing what the youth was thinking. 'In light of that, I would like to propose a trade'

This caught the group off guard. The Magi were currently still ahead of them, albeit without the Knights they had taken away from them at the last possible moment. Were they fed up of losing out on the prize, or was it possible that they no longer needed the princess for their mission? Or could it possibly be…

'We want the Knights and are willing to exchange Princess Cisna for the two Arks in your possession' Grazel proposed. 'I will be waiting by Thaumus Rock in Frass Chasm. You may come if you like, or not. It is up to you. But this is your only chance to ever see the princess _alive_'

So that was it, in exchange for the Knights, the Magi were willing to return to them the one person who could accelerate their plans. It was bound to be a trap. But it was also their best possible chance to date to rescue the princess even if it meant giving up their Knights.

'Thank you, and do have a good day' The message ended fading away as the bigelow returned to its master leaving the group something to ponder over as they decided to rest up before proceeding on to Frass Chasm.

**~#~#~#~**

Turning away from the black feathered bigelow once completed his speech, Grazel turned to look at Princess Cisna who was seated across from him flanked by Trent and Isaac.

'I have made the arrangements you ask for, your Highness' He said smiling slightly. 'I do hope your information about Talion is correct'

Princess Cisna nodded her head hoping in her heart of hearts that she was doing the right thing.

**~#~#~#~**

_Hope that keeps you riveted for now. I was hoping to make it longer but I've still got one more fic to update before the month is over._

_Review if possible & 'til next month_

_Watch this space & peace out!_


	11. Size Doesn't Matter, Part 1: The Large

_Disclaimer's on chapter 1_

**~#~#~#~**

'Just what are you waiting for?' Grazel asked the image of Dragias the bigelow projected. 'Do you want to die like Belcitane?'

Dragias just remained silent as if being a child that was receiving a scolding from their parent. It was unlike him to refrain from speaking. However, this was the leader of the Magi he was before, one of the only people he had to bow to and respect.

'You're pathetic; just as he was. I was just telling Shapur how useless you are' Grazel continued inclining his head to the Farian standing beside him. 'Right, Shapur?'

'He's stroking the Farian's ego' Trent muttered from the corner as he watched as Shapur bowed in mock humbleness.

'Want me to stroke something of yours to make you feel better?' Isaac teased earning a scolding look from his superior.

Ignoring the banter from his two subordinates in the corner, Grazel calmly leaned his head on one hand as he scrutinized Dragias.

'I hope you're not growing _fond_ of them' He spoke with an underlying coldness in his voice. 'In any case, Pactmaker or not, it surely cannot be that difficult to kill someone who trusts you with his life. Mark my words, if you don't act soon, our relationship…'

The sentence was left hanging as everyone in the room knew what would happen upon failure of a given task.

Dragias understood perfectly as the image of Lord Grazel faded from view. Dragias knew what he had to do, why he had dropped off the radar. Yet, what stopped this knight from killing the Pactmakers of the White and Dragon Knights? Was it the bond they shared over wielding weapons of an age gone passed? Or something else entirely that was hidden beneath the armour he so proudly wore?

**~#~**

In order to reach Frass Chasm, a valley full of steep gorges and canyons that spider webbed many miles over the lands south-west of the Flanders, the group had to return to Greede where a gondola would take them to the eastern entrance of the canyons. However, due to the small number of travellers who wished to go and return from there, it usually took four to six hours between trips resulting in the group having to wait around for several hours until the next gondola came.

During the time until the next gondola arrived, the group took the chance to repair their equipment and stock up on supplies and provisions which would certainly be needed either during the trip through the canyons or further depending on whether or not they had managed to actually rescue the princess.

All too soon, the time was nearing for the Frass Chasm gondola to arrive and the group reconvened at the gondola station and waited as their transport came into view on the horizon. Within days, they would be seeing the Magi again, this time trading the princess for the Arks in their possession instead of crossing steel and magic in a rescue attempt.

Leonard though was not feeling too confident about the idea. Time and time again, they had won against the Magi and yet let them escape with Princess Cisna still in their clutches. Now that it was coming down to negotiations and trade-offs, Leonard could not help but wonder if it was his ineptitude wielding the Knight that brought this upon him or some cruel twist of fate to have her continuously slip through his fingers.

'She'll be fine, Leonard' Yulie comforted him seeing that he was quiet and not himself and knowing just what was going through his head. 'We're going to save her'

Leonard just nodded his head but it seemed as if he was doing it out of hearing Yulie talk to him as if it were just an automatic response as he stepped into the gondola.

'He looks like his dog just died' Caesar commented causing Yulie to "accidently" step on the young Lord's sandal clad foot as she followed her best friend.

'Was it something I said?' He asked managing to chuckle through the pain in his foot.

Alastor shook his head at the Dragon Knight Pactmaker's foolishness as he moved passed him and into the gondola. He would've thought that, with his "dragonsight", Caesar would have seen the feelings Yulie harboured for Leonard and would not have made light of the situation. Following the archer onto the gondola's observation deck, the Spellcaster stood at the opposite end of the deck and just took in the view knowing that she would eventually talk to him just like the last time something like this had occurred.

'I can't help but feel like he's forgetting about me' She mumbled once the gondola had left Greede and had begun soaring through the sky towards their destination. 'It's as if nothing else matters to him as long as the princess is safe'

'Some people are like that when a loved one's in trouble' Alastor shrugged. 'It's times like that when he'll need you just to keep him safe from doing something stupid'

'If you're trying to comfort me, you're going about it the _wrong way_' Yulie told the Spellcaster giving him a half-hearted glare.

'Do you really want me to hug you in full view of both Kara _and_ Caesar?'

Even with the cool wind whipping her face, Yulie still felt the heat rise in her face at his words. While it would have been great to have actually been hugged by someone that probably cared about her more than Leonard-no offense to the lad-the cons greatly outweighed the pros this time around. For the time being, at least.

**~#~**

'The snake!' Cyrus snarled bringing his hand down on the wooden table causing surrounding plates and tankards to jump slightly. 'Sarvain acts as though Balandor is _his_ to rule! Arrogant fool!'

The former Captain of the Castleguard and his group had reached a small village on the far southern edges of the Lagnish desert where they had decided to rest for the time being until they planned their next move. Unfortunately, it seemed as though they would be there for a while as the Captain seemed intent on drowning his sorrows in the cheap liquor the tavern provided.

'Please, Sir, keep this up, and you'll be in a terrible state when we reach Faria's borders' His second in command pleaded.

'Captain, you really should stop drinking' Another of them suggested.

Cyrus ignored their requests focusing more on emptying his tankard of the burning water that was attempting to wash away his hardships and burdens. Realising that his tankard was empty, the once proud Captain just laughed as he dropped the tankard to the table.

'I'm not a Captain anymore, just a drunken fool!' He joked although he was the only one who laughed at it.

The members of his little group could only watch on sadly as the man they respected and admired fell apart. Looking at him now, it was hard to imagine that he was once known as Cyrus the Young Lion for a brief window of time in the Chaos Legion before stepping down to instead sign up for the Castleguard to protect the King and princess. In light of recent events, he was in his rights to turn to drink hoping to find death or peace at the bottom of each tankard he emptied.

'All I am…All I was, I owe to King Valtos and Queen Floraine. Were it not for their kindness, I'd either be starving or dead' Cyrus declared sadly. 'His Grace treated me like his own son, his flesh and blood. Until then, no one loved me. _No one_!'

Cyrus brought his hand down on the table again with enough force this time to disturb all the plates and tankards on the table.

'And I will honour him! I'm going to give my life to Balandor!' He proclaimed staggering as he stood with one hand clasped over his heart.

While they were worried about their friend and superior in his drunken state, it did not stop them from being moved by his words. Cyrus had willingly given up all thoughts of his own future to protect a great man, having nothing else to neither lose nor gain save for the happiness King Valtos gave him when asking for him to be his son.

'He was a great king…' He muttered as if is earlier actions had tired him out. 'And an even better father'

He was alone now. With no king to protect and no father to guide him, Captain Cyrus of the Castleguard now had to cut his own path through fate. The same path his old comrades in the Legion took four years ago when they were forced to disband.

**~#~**

Deep was not near enough an adequate word to describe how immense and shear the cliffs of Frass Chasm were. To Leonard and the group, it was as if someone had taken a huge blade and just hacked at the stone leaving gouges wide enough for the town of Balandor and perhaps even the free city of Greede to fit in quit snuggly.

'Of all the places, he had to pick _Frass Chasm_' Caesar grumbled apparently having a view opposite of Leonard and Yulie who were tempting to peer over the edge in an attempt to see the bottom in wonderment.

'What are you talking about? It's beautiful' Yulie remarked giving up on trying to look over the edge to view the landscape. She could just picture being here during a setting sun and a certain someone alone with her easily.

'I'm guessing you don't know what the word "frass" means' Caesar queried snapping the archer from her daydream.

'Why, what's frass? Is it bad?' Leonard asked without looking away from the gorge he was peering into.

'I hope you like insects' Kara advised as she walked past the youth.

The moment her words reached her younger sister of sorts, Yulie practically froze up. While she only hated direspiders in general, the phobia also made her slightly scared of bugs: specifically if they were roughly the same size as direspiders and had at least as many legs. While it was impossible for other bugs to be as big as her multi-legged nightmare, there was still the off chance that they would encounter direspiders causing her to subtly edge closer to Alastor if nothing else but to put him between her and the bugs in question.

Leaving the station, the group were surprised when Foz swooped down before them. It seemed that, instead of them asking the princess if she was alright, the Princess wished to talk to them.

'Leonard, are you alright?' She asked the moment she saw him sounding worried and troubled.

'Fine. What's wrong?' Leonard replied in concern.

'I should apologise. Not just for putting you in danger again, but…also for convincing Grazel to make the trade here. It was my idea' Cisna confessed.

The group was confused by the princess' words. Why would she ask their enemy, her kidnapper, to make a negotiation in a faraway place when there were perfectly good spots that were not in the open all around Balandor? Not to mention, why would she want to talk to Grazel after all the harm that has befallen on her because of him and his group?

'With each passing day, more memories keep coming to the surface. Memories of a much older time when my people, the Athwani, flourished. Now, I know that I share their blood' Cisna said as she explained about what had been happened to her over the last several days of inactivity on both fronts. 'It's as though visiting the ruins opened some door, and now I'm rediscovering who I am'

'You're _her_' Eldore muttered in surprise quiet enough that no one else heard him.

'You don't know the threat the Knights pose. If they were to come together, that would be it: the end of the world foretold in the prophecy' Cisna pressed shuddering at the visions of past memories showing the Knights cutting through the defences of Athwan and other nations who had dared to side against them.

Having fought against Leonard and Caesar when they were transformed, Alastor could easily vouch for the Princess' words. Even his magic, powerful as it was, was nothing more than raindrops bouncing off a hard surface, only stunning them for a brief second at best. And that was only if he was lucky enough to catch either of them off guard.

'But there is a way to stop it' The Princess continued. 'We must stop the Knights from uniting…by _destroying them_'

'Not to doubt your words Princess' Caesar politely butted in. 'But me and Leonard _both_ took on the Black Knight at the same time and didn't even put a scratch on him. And unless Al here has some rather impressive tricks up his sleeve we've yet to see, there's no way anyone else can come close to beating the guy'

There was truth in his words. The Knights were practically invincible to anything other than another Knight and even then, it seemed as if a battle between two would only end in a stalemate. Truly, the Incorrupti were the greatest creation in the war tool arsenal.

'You _can_ do it' Cisna proclaimed her eyes never leaving Leonard despite speaking to them as a whole. 'To do so, you must find a sword called "Talion", the only weapon up to the task'

The name was foreign to them, although Caesar thought it sounded like a cool name for a blade.

'Thaumus Rock was built to honour the warrior Thaumus, a troll, who fought against the Knights and became a great hero' Cisna told them. 'Before he marched into battle, the wise men of Athwan forged a sword that could _pierce_ the Knights' armour. They named the holy blade "Talion", which means "an eye for an eye". If you could find that sword, then perhaps you could destroy the Black Knight'

This was the reason why Princess Cisna asked Grazel to make the trade off in Frass Chasm. If Leonard was able to obtain the blade and wield it against the Black Knight, then both the Princess and the world would be free from their reign of terror if they were to succeed in obtaining the five Knights.

'You must have told them about Talion as well. How else were you to get Grazel to agree?' Alastor suddenly put in frowning at the Princess.

The rest of the group minus Caesar and Eldore looked at him in shock and Leonard was actually about to round on the Spellcaster when Cisna's next words halted him.

'It is true' She admitted sadly wishing there had been some other way for this to happen.

'That's quite a gamble, Princess' Caesar said actually sounding serious. 'The Magi will be at the Rock too. If they get to it first, guess who's in trouble?'

'It's risky, but it's also our only chance'

The heaviness behind these facts about the holy sword and that the Magi knew about it was immense. No matter which side had the blade, it would be almost certain that Death's shadow would be lurking around the other side to guide them to the next world.

'Find the sword, Leonard. You must' Cisna urged the youth before her clearly believing he was the only one that could succeed in the task before them.

'I will. I promise' Leonard swore sounding as if he was ready to move heaven and earth for her.

'Hurry, before something terrible comes to pass' She said wrapping her arms around herself clearly frightened by what the future may hold in store for them, Leonard in particular, regardless of whether they accomplish this mission.

'Please don't let it, Leonard' She whispered as her image began to fade reaching a hand out to Leonard who clasped it before disappearing into nothingness.

Leonard stared at the spot where Cisna's image was for a few seconds before walking off down the pathway that lead along the side of the canyon, his resolve and determination to obtain both the princess and the sword from the Magi and end this once and for all with the others, seeing that the time for standing around was over, quickly following after him. All except for one of them.

'Looking to send a message to someone?' Eldore asked of Kara who had remained rooted to where she stood with a thoughtful look upon her face.

Snapping out of whatever internal discussion she was in, Kara scoffed and headed after the others muttering under her breath about presumptuous old men. Eldore frowned at her retreating form before following after her.

The path the group began to proceed along was treacherous in its own right. As well as the various monsters, ranging from killer scorpions and umbral flowers, a dangerous, evolved and more sentient form of the Venus Flytrap, to the more challenging trents and trolls if they came upon one, there was also the factor of the pathway leading straight through parts of the canyon as if something had tunnelled through it or narrow rock bridges that could give way at any given moment. That was without including the steep drop one could experience were they to venture too close to the edge whether during a fight or not.

It was several hours into the journey before the two main Spellcasters of the group, currently walking at the back of the group, decided to bring up the topic on something Alastor had overheard during the Princess' talk about why they were here.

'So who's this girl the Princess reminds you of?' He broached quickly glancing at the Swordmage walking alongside him.

'What do you mean?' Eldore asked acting the fool although it was a worthless ploy considering who he was talking to.

'When the Princess told us how she had memories of her past-life as an Athwani, you muttered something about her being…_someone_' The Spellcaster elaborated. 'So out with it'

While the tone was light, Eldore could easily tell there was a sharp edge to his words as if saying "speak now, or I'll force it from you".

'Do you remember in the Lagnish Desert, you speculated that the Princess gained a Magical Inheritance that contained the sealing lore that was used against the Knights ten thousand years ago?' Eldore asked receiving a nod in reply. 'Ever since, I've been wondering who she might have inherited it from'

'And now you think you know who it is' Alastor finished nodding his head in understanding. He had been pondering the same thing himself now and again but not as much as the old man.

'Indeed. The _Queen of the_ _Athwan_'

Alastor stopped dead in his tracks for a second at Eldore's words before catching up to the Swordmage.

'That's a little too presumptuous, don't you think?' He said trying to get his head around it. 'I mean, I know they're both royalty from different times, but that's still a bit of a stretch, don't you think?'

'Setti did say that the Queen would be reincarnated along with the Emperor of Yshrenia' Eldore pressed despite agreeing to the Spellcaster's logic. 'Even if I am wrong, perhaps the Magi believe this also and would explain why they kidnapped her instead of killing her along with her father'

Both Spellcaster's held solid arguments. And yet, perhaps only the founders of the Magi possibly held the answers to the questions their discussion brought up.

For now, however, it would have to wait as the ground began to tremble as the group reached a rather sharp corner of the single walled pathway.

'W-What's that?' Leonard asked as he tried to stay on his feet as the tremors grew worse.

'Get ready, it's coming' Eldore warned them.

'It? What kind of "it"?' Leonard asked of the Swordmage before noticing a dust cloud forming at the far end of the canyon from the corner of his eye.

A guttural roar was heard before an enormous drake like worm on legs appeared from the cloud, barrelling through the canyon kicking up more dust in its wake as it careered through the path created by the canyon walls. If that were not amazing enough, what appeared to be several gliders were chasing after it despite looking like mere mosquitoes in comparison to its gargantuan size.

Whoever flew those contraptions were clearly skilled as they weaved through the falling rocks as they sped passed it before coming around and dropping a rough half dozen bombs each on top of the creatures spine covered back causing it to stop for a second and secrete a greenish gas that gave off a foul stench that attacked the groups olfactory glands even from where they were standing. Evidently wearing some sort of gasmask, the pilots swooped through the green smog, skilfully moving through the spines huge as tree trunks, as their crafts collected the gas.

By the time the huge creature had recovered from the assault, the five little gliders were already flying away, their whoops of a successful harvest carried on the winds for all to hear.

'What was that?' Leonard asked trying to catch another glimpse of the creature through the green smog.

'A _greaver_: a creature unique to this canyon' Eldore supplied for him. 'They're supposedly the ones that created the canyons they now run through. Hence Frass Chasm: the canyon made by giant worms'

'Uck! No wonder Kara asked if we like insects' Yulie muttered wrapping her arms around her waist as she tried not to envision the huge creepy-crawlies coming after her. Direspiders were bad enough without adding those things to the picture. 'But who were those people attacking it?'

'Those would be the Windwalkers. They're a tribe of papitaurs who live in the Chasm' Caesar answered as he watched the fog begin to settle. 'You saw their gliders? Well, they survive by _chasing_ after the greavers and harvesting the gas they give off'

The archer stared incredulously at the Dragon Pactmaker before turning to Alastor clearly hoping he could elaborate on the topic.

'The gas it gives off can be used in a lot of different potions depending on how it's used. And because most of them are either rare or critical for certain practices, it pays around a thousand or so guilder _at least_ per jar' Alastor said after hearing Galileo go on about how the gas could become a variety of potions for over an hour one time.

'Yup, those little stink-jockeys are loaded' Caesar agreed with the Spellcaster.

'Well I _wouldn't _want their job'Yulie shuddered it was bad enough just seeing the creature. To be even closer than those Windwalkers were things her nightmares would include from now on.

'Come on, then. We need to hurry' Leonard pressed about to run off along the path to make up lost time before Alastor's staff was brought in front of him.

'Not with that gas lingering about ahead of us' The Spellcaster said indicating the path up ahead that was hidden under the green fog. 'On its own, that stuff can put you under in less than a minute. Inhale enough and you're practically asleep for the rest of your days. Or until a monster comes looking for a snack'

With Alastor's words, along with the sun sinking below the horizon, it was a unanimous decision that they would set up camp for the night.

**~#~**

'Okay, I hate this place!' Yulie moaned as she tried to get some sleep before it was her shift on night watch.

It was slightly harder than normal considering the noise made by the wind as it blew through the Chasm causing the fabric walls of the tent to rumble with each breeze, coupled with the fact that she was in a place where her phobia practically thrived. If that were not enough, her best friend got the longest straw allowing him to get a full night's sleep. At least there were no direspiders to deal with.

She would not have minded talking with Kara for a spell in the hopes of tiring herself out talking and arguing about anything and everything that crossed either of their minds but, unfortunately, she was out taking her shift. Now that she thought about it, Yulie could have sworn that she heard Caesar's voice out there as well. After a few minutes trying to hear what was being said, the archer heard the definite sound of someone falling down.

Perhaps, if she was lucky enough, she could catch the two of them in an awkward position, more than likely Kara attempting to strangle the young Lord whilst straddling his lap. Either way, it would even the playing field against Kara and her teasing about her and Alastor, even if she _did not_ mind it.

'Hey, what's going out here?' She asked as she exited the tent pretending that the noise they made had woken her up.

While hiding it well, she was disappointed when she saw that, while the two may have been _close_ at one point, Kara was now standing at the opposite side of the fire while Caesar was still sitting on the ground looking at the blonde woman with a look she was unable to place right now.

'Nothing much. I was just about to hit the sack anyway' Caesar shrugged as he picked himself up letting out a yawn. ''Night, Kara. Let's talk again soon'

Kara looked away from the young Lord as if repulsed by whatever it was he was implying whereas Yulie was just plain stumped about it.

'About what?' She asked curiously.

'Nothing special' The young Lord replied to the archer's question as he passed her and entered the tent the males were using.

Yulie was half expecting him to add something along the lines of…something that would contain hers and Alastor's names at least. To not say so during a good chance, something had to be affecting him.

'How Alastor managed to put up with him for three years must have been nothing short of a miracle' Kara muttered sourly sounding as if she was complimenting the Spellcaster for enduring something she was having a losing battle with.

'I'm sure he sent a few spells Caesar's way during his time under him' Yulie reasoned smiling at the thought. 'Not enough to actually hurt him, but to at least warn him about who his servant was'

She was sure she saw Kara's mouth twitch upwards before returning to the frown that could probably rival Alastor's. Whatever had happened between the two, Yulie was pretty sure Caesar had said something rather provocative to turn Kara into another sour puss. One was bad enough, even if Yulie was mellowing him out somewhat.

'If he tries whatever he did again tomorrow night, just sock him one in the kisser' Yulie advised the swordswoman.

This time, Kara did actually smile. 'You forget that I used to work in a tavern as a dancer. I know how to deal with men who wish to get between my legs'

'Hit them between theirs' Yulie finished causing the two girls to laugh at their discovery of being on the same page when coming to dealing with men they did not like.

'If you want, I can take your shift for you' Kara offered changing the topic back to tonight's affairs and events.

Yulie shook her head, seeing as she was up she might as well start her shift. Kara seemed to look concerned obviously knowing that the younger girl hated anything with more than two or four legs but decided against it seeing as the girl was as stubborn as herself.

'Don't let the bedbugs bite' She joked before entering the tent she and Yulie shared.

'Oh, that was uncalled for!' Yulie called after her retreating form only receiving a reply in the form of her hunting knife, bow and quiver being thrown out for her.

While Yulie may have been angry with Kara over the pun, it quickly dissipated as a cold gust of wind blew over the camp causing her to huddle close to the campfire to try and keep warm. There was little hope of having a peaceful night this time around. Worst case scenario, she just woke up Alastor and asked him to start his shift seeing as he was on after her.

The sound of movement behind her caused the archer to spin around, bow at the ready, aiming at the darkness where the noise emanated from. She was just coming to the conclusion that it was just the wind blowing something over when another noise coming from the opposite direction had her spinning round again only to see nothing but darkness again.

'I _really_ hate this place!' She whined under her breath as she attempted to keep strong despite believing she was the opposite.

As they had journeyed together, Yulie could easily see what skills everyone brought along with them. Asides from the Knights, Leonard had become an impressive swordsman most likely due to making the pact with the White Knight while Caesar's already impressive skill with a spear increased; Eldore, while not as skilled with blades and magic also knew quite a bit about the Knights as well as the lands they were travelling; Alastor- well, it was fairly obvious what he contributed; even Kara, who only knew a handful of spells and how to use a blade, had the conviction and drive to carry on her own path no matter who or whatever tried to stop her.

And then there was herself: a Spellcaster in training who was skilled with a bow. Not really much in comparison to the others. She did not have any reason to be here other than to help her best friend and first crush and even that seemed to be dwindling.

'What am I even doing here?' She asked to the biting winds.

'Trying to get warm, by the looks of it'

Out of fright and reflex, Yulie spun towards the direction of the voice and let loose an arrow towards it not even registering that the speaker was someone she was beginning to warm to more and more each day. Fortunately, ever since his first experience with the short tempered girl, Alastor was expecting this one and magically stopped the projectile in mid-air letting it hover for a second before letting it drop to the ground.

'I must be losing my touch if that doesn't surprise you anymore' Yulie grumbled half-heartedly as she sank back down in front of the fire hoping to at least keep her fingers warm.

'What's got you all jumpy tonight?' Alastor asked as he sat down on the nearby log just behind her apparently not at all effected by the coldness of the night.

'Oh, nothing much. Just the fact that I'm so cold I can barely feel anything and that I'm in a place where _I'm_ the insignificant insect while the real bugs are _bigger_ than me!' She knew it was not right to snap at someone who was only asking if she was okay, but inside her heart of hearts, she was hoping that the former Dark Magician would pull another trick out from his sleeves to make her feel better.

She was not disappointed. The moment she felt his hand touch her shoulder, Yulie could feel herself becoming warm again as if she was standing in the middle of a field on a warm summers day.

'Better?' He asked as he started to pull away from her.

He was not quick enough, unfortunately. Seemingly emboldened by whatever the Spellcaster had just done to her, Yulie grabbed his wrist before pulling herself into his lap and wrapping his snagged arm around her waist.

'Much better' Yulie agreed only just keeping in the laughter at the flustered yet irritated look Alastor sported.

'You do know that I can hex you into a thousand pieces in a thousand ways, right?' He queried sounding a bit agitated by her actions.

'Then why don't you' Yulie shot back daring him to do something she knew that he would not.

Alastor seemed tempted to hex her just to prove her wrong were he not currently trying to ignore how comfortable she felt in his arms. Sure, he had women sit in his lap before, but they were doing so just to get something out of him be it money, power or just to be noticed as his girl. Yulie, on the other hand, was just Yulie, as plain, simple and confusing as that.

'You're incorrigible, you know that?' He muttered backing down from the staring contest they were having and looking anywhere else but at her.

'I'm just getting that hug you promised' She giggled resting her head against his shoulder. 'Besides, you seem to bring out the best in me'

It was true in a way. While with Leonard, Yulie had moved slowly using subtle hints and the like to nudge the youth's mind in the right direction with failed results most likely due to the fact that the two had known each other for so long. With Alastor, on the other hand, ever since Yulie had accepted that she had feelings for him, her actions were definitely bolder especially if they were alone like now. It was as if he somehow inspired or encouraged her without realising it.

'You sure it's not the worst?' Alastor retorted actually picking her up bridal fashion and placing her on the log beside him.

'Jerk!' She muttered. 'You would leave me to fend for myself in this monster riddled place? What would happen if one found me?'

'He'd turn to stone'

No sooner had the words left Alastor's mouth did he find a glaring Yulie with a clenched left hand in front of him. He actually felt intimidated by the sight. But only just.

'What was that?' She growled.

'Nothing' The Spellcaster replied not wanting to experience another blow like last time. It was worse than that one time he got drunk with the Legion and woke up the next morning.

'In that case, I'm going to bed. Night' She stated before quickly darting into her tent before the Spellcaster could comprehend he had been swindled.

Alastor blinked once, twice even thrice before seeing red at the girl's nerve to dump him with the remainder of her shift to go with his own. With a fierce motion of his arm, he made the fire roar to at least twice its size before being reduced to mere dying embers.

'She's got Ceal's skill in archery, coupled with Azalea's cunning and Elma's short temper' He thought out loud to himself unable to hide the small grin. 'And I thought those three by themselves were a handful when together.

**~#~**

Staring out of the portal into the pale moonlight that rained down from on high, Grazel could not help but smirk as he look to what tomorrow would bring him. Before the sun set the following day, he would have the two Arks Belcitane failed to obtain and possibly the only weapon that could thwart his plans. All thanks to a staged conversation he had Trent and Isaac perform beside the princess' chamber.

'Tomorrow will be a significant step towards our goal. Be sure not to fail in your part in all this' He said to the person standing just outside the pillar of moonlight spilling from the portal.

Despite being encased in darkness, the contours suggested the person was female. One whose face was sure to be the last thing the Pactmakers see.

**~#~#~#~**

_Another chapter done & I've finally pierced the 100,000 word barrier!_

_Review if possible & 'til next month_

_Watch this space & peace out!_


	12. Size Doesn't Matter, Part 2: The Small

_Disclaimer on chapter 1_

**~#~#~#~**

Isaac yawned widely as the morning light allowed him to see the other side of the canyon where the group was currently stirring at their camp. He really could not be bothered with such a boring role for now, but with past failures, the only people that could be depended upon to actually do their job were himself Trent and Shapur. Actually, cancel Shapur, the Farian would just kill them there and then hogging all the fun for himself not to mention his ego was big enough already.

The night had its perks however. There was that _charming_ discussion between Larvayne's Pactmaker and the dancer in the early evening. He was slightly disheartened when the spunky archer broke it up but he perked up at making her jump about for a few minutes before his new best friend appeared making her practically jump a mile.

'Wonder if he really is just like me?' He pondered out loud as he watched the Spellcaster stretch his arms as high as he could then nearly being bent over backwards when Yulie jumped and grabbed his forearms pulling them over his back nearly making him fall backwards. 'Why else would he not try anything with Lil Miss Spunky when she practically flung herself on him?'

Now, the hero of the day had appeared from the tent. Princess Cisna's knight in huge, shining armour himself, looking as if he had a goodnight's sleep seeing as he did not have to pull watch last night. If only Little Leonard knew what was in store for him. All that was left to appear from the tents was the dancer who promptly looked away from Caesar as he gave her a good morning smile when she came out.

'Pretty soon, honey, your troubles will all be over' Isaac crooned as he stood up watching them pack up the tents in a matter of moments and continued on along the path. 'And we'll have three Knights and a new sword to boot'

**~#~**

'How far do these canyons go?' Yulie asked in mild frustration after turning a corner of the canyon just to see it stretch far off into the distance before bending off in a different direction.

'Considering the size of its creators, at least twice the size of the caldera Greede resides in, if not more' Eldore replied for her.

'Thank you, Eldore-pedia' Yulie grumbled sarcastically not really wanting her question answered.

'Well, if you really want to kill some time, I'm sure we can find a few direspiders to tackle if we take a quick detour down one of these side caves' Caesar suggested with a sly grin.

'No thanks!' The archer managed to say in an even tone although her pace seemed to increase slightly.

She didn't get far as the ground suddenly shook followed by a sound Yulie both knew and feared greatly. No sooner had the noise stopped a direspider dropped down from somewhere above. The only difference with this one was its size.

'Man, they sure grow 'em _big_ in this canyon!' Caesar commented the monster easily dwarfing the ones in Greede's underbelly.

'This is a _small_ _one_' Kara corrected drawing her rapier.

'Even so, this one's fierce' Eldore noted as the direspider attacked them forcing them all to scatter as it landed among them.

'Get it away, get it away, get it away!' Yulie cried scrambling as far back as possible from the eight legged monstrosity as she could.

Alastor would have told her to shut up had the direspider not suddenly pirouetted with its eight legs akimbo striking the Spellcaster and the rest of the group and sending them all to the ground. Ignoring the pain flaring from the right side of his head as well as the lack of use of his right eye, Alastor made to counter attack only to find his arm wrenched back to the ground in a glob of spider webbing.

The Spellcaster swore loudly as he tried to pull his arm free of the webbing all the while, the direspider approached him intent on making the Spellcaster its next meal. The three arrows that suddenly embedded themselves into the direspider's head told the creature otherwise. Yulie's second volley of arrows missed their mark as the direspider took a mighty leap over the approaching missiles to land in front of her.

Despite her shock at suddenly becoming the direspider's target, although it should not considering she just attacked it, Yulie jumped backwards while drawing and firing several arrows at the creature these ones finding their mark in three of the direspider's eyes. The direspider's reply was to swat at the archer sending the girl tumbling into the cliff wall.

It was the last move it ever made as Yulie's distraction allowed Leonard and Caesar to recover and transform into their Knights. By the time the direspider realised what was happening, it was shield bashed into the air before a huge spear pierced its underside sending it toppling over the ledge into the deep precipice.

'Yulie, are you okay?' Leonard asked sounding worried as he quickly reverted and rushed over to where she was sitting up rubbing the back of her head.

'I think so' The archer groan applying a little healing magic to reduce the swelling at the back of her head.

'Look on the bright side. At least it didn't swat you over the edge' Caesar pointed out optimistically as he headed over to Kara who was still injured from the battle while Eldore aided Alastor who was easily still reeling from the blow to the head he took.

'Too bad _he_ didn't get knocked over' Yulie grumbled.

'At least you're alright, that's the main thing' Leonard pressed now looking relieved that Yulie was in no danger. 'Just…don't do anything like that again, okay? You're one of the only friends I've got I can trust with my life'

Yulie smiled softly. 'So you haven't forgotten about me'

'How can I forget about you?' Leonard challenged grinning. 'Even if I could, you'd remind me either vocally or by punching me'

Yulie's smile widened at the valid points Leonard made. She was the kind of girl who could not be ignored for long by those she called friends which were few and far between.

'Someone's gotta keep you in line' She pointed out. 'Not to mention keep you alive long enough to save _your_ damsel'

While saying those words did hurt, it was worth it seeing Leonard's face suddenly glow like a setting sun. She still managed to keep a fake smile on her face as Leonard walked away mumbling something about her being back to normal.

'So, no one's gonna help a lady up?' She asked from where she was sitting as everyone else began moving off again down the trail now that the danger had passed.

'We will. When we see one in need of a hand, that is' Alastor remarked as he approached his damaged eye healed but still shut for the moment.

Easily catching the insult in his words, Yulie swiftly brought herself up onto her feet, intent on knocking him off his own, only to stumble forward into the Spellcaster apparent not yet recovered from what she had just done. Not expecting the girl to literally plough into him, Alastor had to backpedal a couple steps to keep his balance as his arms instinctively wrapped round the archer to prevent her from falling any further.

'You're one of those who try to run before trying to walk, aren't you?' He asked her.

'I just thought you wanted an excuse to hug and thank me from the bottom of your heart for saving you' Yulie countered looking at the ground so that the Spellcaster could not see the real smile that had bloomed on her face as she enjoyed having his arms around her.

'But that doesn't make us even' She added finally pulling away from him as the strength returned to her legs. 'Not for a while at least, providing you don't go saving my life again before I save yours'

She meant every word of it. The only way Yulie would consider herself out of Alastor's debt would be when she brought him back from the brink of death, a thought that scared her and prayed that would never happen in her heart of hearts.

**~#~**

It was roughly an hour before noon before the group found signs of life in the Chasm.

'Isn't that one of the Windwalkers we saw yesterday?' Yulie asked her keen eyes noticing the downed craft further along the trail from where they were.

Closing the distance, it appeared that it was indeed one of the Windwalkers. The glider was currently on its side while the pilot, a papitaur who looked to be in his early maybe mid-teens, was scurrying around fiddling with this and that as if trying to repair it.

'His glider must have broken' Eldore surmised as they watched the poor fellow attempt to fix something he could clearly not do on his own at his size.

'He can't fix it alone' Yulie chuckled lightly watching as the pilot attempted to lift something only to fall on his rear. 'We should help'

Leonard agreed with her and the two of them walked off towards the pilot and machine ignoring Eldore's orders to wait. Thanks to his long, rabbit-like ears, the disheartened papitaur suddenly became hopeful as he looked round to see people, actual people, walking towards him.

'Hello!' He waved to them energetically happy that someone was coming to help him with the problem of fixing his glider.

Unfortunately, in his eager greetings to the helpful strangers walking towards him, the papitaur failed to notice the danger quickly scaling up the sheer cliff behind him until the two strangers stopped with shocked looks on their faces. Puzzled by their sudden expressions, the papitaur looked round only to find himself staring into the jaws of a pygmy greaver, a smaller version of the canyon maker but still big enough to swallow the papitaur whole.

'Come on!' Caesar called out to Leonard as he jogged up to the youth before summoning his Ark while Leonard did the same for his.

'_O Wizel, white warrior, wielder of the ancient sword-'_

'_O Larvayne, vermillion drake, leveller of ancient lands-'_

That was as far as either Pactmaker got in their chants before what could only be described as a huge column of molten red light nearly as tall as they were shot between them to crash into the miniature tunnel and canyon maker with such force that it knocked the creature back over the ledge and tumbling back down the cliff face.

'Didn't I lecture you two about wasting time on those speeches in places where time is of the essence?' Alastor inquired lowering his staff, the top of it still glowing.

'Well, we figured that, if we did the full chant, you would intervene and take care of the big guy for us. Seeing as you haven't really done anything other than getting whipped by us and a huge spider, lately' Caesar explained calmly.

Alastor's face went from frowning to thunder as he began to march forward towards the young Lord or tried to seeing as Eldore and Yulie held him back while Kara just watched on perhaps wanting to see the Spellcaster actually tear Caesar a new one. While that was going on, a small furry head popped out from behind the glider looking to see if the coast was clear.

'Pardon me' He called out bringing the groups attention to him. "Hello there. Thank you so very, very much for saving my life. Thank you, thank you, thank you so very, very much!'

'Hey! You're alive!' Caesar exclaimed recognising the little Windwalker from earlier who was bowing low enough that his ears brushed the ground. 'That's funny 'cause I thought you'd been eaten'

It was the wrong thing to say to the little papitaur. His once cheerful mood was swapped for a more sorrow filled one as he squatted on the ground and began drawing in the dirt.

'Everybody's always assuming the worst' He mumbled. '"Rocco fell off a cliff" or "Rocco got eaten by the greaver" or-'

'Would you prefer they talk about it or it actually happening?' Alastor questioned the little papitaur who was apparently called Rocco.

'Besides, he didn't mean it like that!' Yulie added slapping Caesar upside the head for his poor choice of words.

'Come on! It's not like I knew how he'd react to that' Caesar defended himself rubbing the back of his head while keeping Alastor between himself and the archer.

'No! Mister Frownyface is correct: Better to assume the worse than the worse actually happen!' Rocco interjected before the two started a fight on his behalf.

Yulie was unable to supress the giggles at Rocco's nickname for Alastor neither could Caesar who did not even attempt to cover up his laughter as he slapped "Mr Frownyface" on the back who was living up to the name with ease.

Once the laughter had finally died down, particularly after a certain Spellcaster's glare, the group helped Rocco repair his glider learning how the thing a combination of magic and technology. The glider relied on a magic stone to start the engine up before the perpetual motion engine kicked in once the bladed propeller at the front of the glider began spinning due to the wind giving it near endless fuel, truly a work of genius.

'Thank you again, good sirs and ladies' Rocco thanked them once again after the repairs were finally completed.

Jumping into the cockpit of the craft, the glider soon roared to life.

'I must go now. But we will meet again!' The Windwalker yelled over the noise. 'I will repay you! I promise!'

'Funny little guy' Caesar noted with a chuckle as the glider shot off into the sky and out of sight..

'Better than the one we have' Alastor said as he started heading off down the trail with the others following suite.

'Are you gonna let him slander you like that, Yulie?' Caesar asked only to be slugged in the arm by the girl obviously not liking the joke.

Massaging his sore arm, the young Lord turned to face Kara who was staring at him as if asking herself if the youth in front of her had a death wish.

'Shall we?' He gestured to the path ahead all gentlemanly.

Kara just huffed, looking away as she moved to catch up with the others, with Caesar just behind, as the path veered away from the chasm and went further inland. The two had just caught up to the group when Yulie, who had decided to play scout and check what was ahead, called out to them.

'I think there's a village up ahead' She said seeing what looked like a wooden gate made out of two trees at opposite sides of the pass tied together at the top by a wooden block carved to look like a shield.

Hearing the girl's words, Eldore rushed up to where she was standing cursing under his breath when he saw the settlement.

'We'll have to circle round' He told them as the rest caught up to the two.

'What's the problem, Eldore?' Leonard asked curious as to why they had to detour round a village and delay Cisna's rescue even longer.

'Let's just take the old guy's word for it for once' Caesar suggested having a rough idea what would happen if they were spotted by the settlers.

'Too late, losers!' An echoic voice chortled from somewhere above them. 'Maybe you nincompoops haven't heard? You're trespassing on _our_ land'

On a ledge high above them, a papitaur appeared geared up in what was probably a Windwalker's flight gear. The suit covered everything from their feet to their ears and wore a coat over it which indicated that the papitaur was either a Windwalker platoon leader or the tribal leader.

Thinking it was just the one, lone papitaur the group breathed easier, until each of the surrounding edges suddenly teamed with papitaurs wearing similar flight suits, a veritable papitaur army.

'And do you know what we do with nincompoop trespassers?' The leader asked leaning down probably leering at them through his flight mask.

'C'mon. Let it slide, we took a wrong turn!' Caesar appealed to them apparently having some idea what was about to happen.

'Like they'll believe _that_!' Alastor muttered under his breath.

He seemed to be right as the leader ignored the young Lord's words and turned to his fellow brethren.

'For nincompoops, the sentence is _death_!' He declared earning a cheer of agreement from them.

'Hold on there!' Leonard called out to them. 'We weren't doing-'

'SILENCE!' The head papitaur interrupted glaring back down at them. 'Get them! Arrest them all!'

Huge nets and stun bombs were flung from the ledges ensnaring them all before any of them could react.

It was unsure how long they had been out of it. All they knew, after being woken up by cold pales of water, was that they were cuffed to huge stakes in the middle of the village they were at the border of earlier with probably every papitaur of age gathered around them.

'This doesn't look good' Eldore muttered under his breath cursing slightly when he tried to use magic only to feel the cuffs drain him of the very power he was trying to charge. 'Definitely not good'

The sound of the village leader chuckling at their predicament caused the group to turn towards him with a semi-death glare.

'You really are stupid little nincompoops if you thought we wouldn't be prepared for spell throwing nincompoops' He chortled.

'Look who's calling who little' Alastor threw back with a slight growl as Yulie began flailing her legs in a poor attempt to use the papitaur as a kickball for calling her small.

'I'm terribly sorry if I awoke you from your naps' There was not a trace in his masked voice that told the group he actually was sorry. 'But your punishment will be carried out immediately'

Several of the group gulped in fear of what was to become of them. Were they to be burned at the stake? Hung? Beheaded even? Not even Alastor or Eldore, the most seasoned travellers of the group, knew what was about to befall them.

'Is everybody ready?' The leader called out to his followers gaining cheers of excitement from them. Whatever was going to happen, these tribesmen believed they deserved it for some reason.

'This has gone far enough! Let us go!' Yulie snarled still fighting to get out of her cuffs. Were she to continue to throw herself around like that in an attempt to escape, it was liable the archer could snap her wrists.

'Play fair! Lousy _stink-jockeys_…'

As if someone had just cast a silencing spell over them, the papitaur tribe suddenly went mute over what Caesar just said.

'Hey, you. What did you just say?' The leader demanded of Caesar as he walked up to the young Lord.

'I said, you wouldn't know justice if it bit you on the tail, my friend!' Caesar replied sarcastically. 'Seriously, clear those big ears of yours. Might help you out'

The leader chuckled as if amused with the young Lord's antics. 'How dare you insult the holy calling of the Windwalkers!'

'Maybe if you aired it once in a while, there would be fewer holes!' Caesar threw back looking down at the papitaur.

'Why you…you…foul-mouthed…worm-haired…nincompoop!' The leader yelled sounding quite insulted by the young Lord's words if that squeak in his voice was anything to go by. 'Bring in the "_Device of Punishment_"!'

As one, the group twisted their heads towards a low rumbling sound that gradually got louder as it passed by the nearest tent and rolled into view on a cart.

'Wha-What is that?' Caesar stammered as he looked at the oversized, spiked walnut.

'That isn't…what I think it is, is it? Yulie squeaked taking in the blue cloth pieces draped over it bearing a papitaur's skull.

'I'm pretty sure that's a…_bomb_' Leonard spoke just barely as a feeling of dread welled up in his gut.

It was indeed a bomb, the very same the Windwalkers used against the greavers in great number to provoke it into giving off the gas they harvest. As if to verify what they were thinking, the leader directed their attention to another bomb that could just be seen on an outcrop halfway up the cliff at the far end of the village.

'Watch carefully now' He advised probably grinning under his mask at their dread. '5, 4-'

He was cut off by the bomb suddenly exploding ahead of schedule. While it appeared to be mostly flash and bark, the bomb had enough bite to give the overhang a trim as small rocks bounced over the houses and the upset leader.

'It's too soon, too soon! I was only at _four_!' He cried as if someone had spoiled the surprise he was supposed to spring stamping his feet in a temper tantrum before running over to the papitaur behind the detonation device. 'You-you-you incompetent, nitwit, imbecilic…_nincompoop_!'

'S-sorry, boss. The bomb…just went boom' The papitaur explosive expert explained weakly.

'But I was only at four! It's supposed to be 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 and _then_ boom!' The leader ranted stamping the ground again for a few minutes until he felt better. 'No matter. Time for the real show!'

Hearing their boss' words, the villagers quickly scarpered to the fringes of the village square and lay prone to avoid pieces of the nincompoops as they flew hither and yonder in the bombs blast.

'Wait! Stop! Don't do this!' Leonard cried out as he struggled vainly against his bonds. _Cisna. She's waiting for me!_

'5…'

_Man, I always hoped to __go out with a bang__. But not like _this_!_ _At least I'll get to talk to my old man some more._

'4…'

_Dammit! This isn't fair!_

'3…'

_So is this how I die? I don't know if I should be happy or upset about it._

'2…'

_My Queen. Forgive me for failing you again._

'1…'

_Maybe now__ I may get some piece_

'ZERO!'

**~#~#~#~**

_Short, I apologise, but I wanted to make a cliffy. To make up for it, try guessing who thought what at the end & I'll reveal at the start of the next chapter._

_Review if possible & 'til next month_

_Watch this space & peace out!_


	13. The Rock of Legend

_Disclaimer on chapter 1_

**~#~#~#~**

'Wait! Stop! Don't do this!' Leonard cried out as he struggled vainly against his bonds. _Cisna. She's waiting for me!_

'5…'

_Man, I always hoped to go out__ with a bang. But not like _this_!_ Caesar thought to himself as he struggled against his bonds. _At least I'll get to talk to my old man some more._

'4…'

_Dammit! This isn't fair! _Yulie yelled inside her mind trying not to let her tears show. It was as if fate itself was stopping her from ever finding true happiness and just when she had possibly found it as well.

'3…'

_So is this how I die? I don't know if I should be happy or upset about it _Kara mentally whispered to herself feeling the two emotions comence war with each other.

'2…'

_My Queen. Forgive me for failing you again _Eldore thought. All those years sacrificed only for this to befall them…

'1…'

_Maybe now I may get some peace_ Alastor could not help but think as he pondered over whether his troubles would stay with him when he left his mortal coil.

'ZERO!'

'WAIT! Please stop!'

Everyone, papitaur and prisoner alike, stopped what they were doing to stare at this newcomer who was familiar to all of them.

'Rocco? Didn't you fall off a cliff?' The leader asked sounding surprised to see the young papitaur.

Rocco turned round to look at his saviours from earlier today once again all smiles. Who would have thought that the little guy would actually get the chance to keep his word? And so soon after his own near death experience!

With the threat of being blown up avoided, the relieved travellers were quickly released from their shackles allowing them to quickly move away from the bomb in case it decided to 'just go boom' like the one before it. Most of them anyway as Yulie had just sank to the ground the moment she was freed and had to get carried away between Leonard and Caesar as she could not move her legs which were unresponsive.

As the group reached the hut where Rocco and the village leader were talking, the two papitaurs turned to them with the leader looking apologetic, assuming he was seeing as he was still in his flight suit.

'I offer my deepest apologies!' The leader said to them bowing in thanks before wrapping an arm around Rocco's shoulders indicating they were related, father-son perhaps. 'What a terrible misunderstanding! I had no idea that you helped our Rocco-or that he was still alive for that matter. Ho-oh! To think that I nearly blew you all up'

The way he said that was as if he was having a casual conversation with someone and had just made a small mistake. After briefly explaining their reasons for being in the canyon, the leader was quick to offer the m the aid of the Windwalkers. Anything to repay them for helping Rocco as well as to make up for nearly blowing them up.

'We will bring bombs and blow them into little bits' The leader proclaimed proudly apparently fond of using bombs probably due to using them to harvest gas from greavers.

'Uh, you don't have to do that. We're trying to keep a low profile just now' Leonard quickly stepped in. The last thing he needed was to return to Balandor with the princess in multiple pieces.

'We could do with a few fireworks when we've won though" Caesar added.

The papitaur nodded his head in understanding although everyone in the group was certain that he was disappointed in not getting to blow up anything. On the plus side, Osmund, the tribe chief with the penchant for explosions allowed them access to the village and its resources until they were ready to continue to the trade off point.

'I actually thought we were done for!' Leonard exclaimed silently relief flooding him as Osmund and his son headed off to the nearby river where the gliders were stationed.

'That went far beyond an innocent mistake' Eldore agreed.

'Like they say: It's all fun and games until someone gets blown up' Caesar commented actually back to his old self already. Some people never changed.

Kara just rolled her eyes at the young Lord's comment before walking away to the small hut that contained all their gear and weapons. Clearly she wanted to get this over and done with before she continued with what she almost did last night.

Thinking along similar lines, Leonard followed her with the rest not far behind him. The rest consisting of Caesar and Eldore whereas Yulie had managed to clasp hold of Alastor's hand from where she was now sitting on the ground evidently still having no strength in her legs yet.

'Carry me, please?' She asked the Spellcaster in a small voice clearly embarrassed by having to ask him this.

The next thing she knew, she was being given a piggyback by the mage in question having no idea how or when he had picked her up. She was slightly upset that he was not carrying her bridal style but accepted that, this way, he was able to move and react quicker if need be. At least she had an excuse to keep her arms around him for more than a few seconds this time.

While the Spellcaster and archer went to reclaim their stuff, Leonard and the others were now traipsing to the exit of the village that would lead them straight to Thaumus Rock which appeared to be well known to them. Along the way, Leonard had suddenly become distracted when he noticed several papitaur kids drawing something in the dirt.

'Hey! No looking!' One of the kids yelled noticing him and tried to hide whatever it was he and his friend were drawing to little success. The curse of being two foot three- three feet if you included the ears.

'Whatcha drawin'?' Leonard asked easily seeing over the child's head to see what appeared to be some sort of scary mask for all he knew.

The child looked at Leonard as if the youth had grown an extra head.

'This is Sir Thaumus!' He exclaimed proudly. 'He's the strongest troll of all. And he was the Windwalkers' friend, too!'

Leonard made what was assumed to be a noise of understanding. Looking at the picture again, he could now recognise it as a troll with tree stumps for legs and a couple of thin scratches either side of the things head for arms.

'And this?' He asked pointing at the line where the troll's left eye would be.

'Sir Thaumus only had _one eye_' The child told him in awe. 'But he was sooooo powerful, it's like he had eyes on the back of his head'

'Maybe it was hidden under his hair' Caesar offered. 'That way he could intimidate his enemies and save his strength for those who were stupid enough to continue their attack against him'

'Only to fall under Sir Thaumus' blade!' The other child chipped in with enthusiasm.

'Got that right!' Leonard agreed ruffling the child's hair.

**~#~**

It was an hour later once everything had been restocked and a certain archer could walk herself again, did the group finally leave the village following the pathway the villagers had told them about that lead directly to the rock in question. As they headed off, the topic went to that of where they were heading.

'So, what's Thaumus Rock look like?' Yulie asked starting them off. 'Is it big?'

'We shall see' Kara replied while curious herself preferred not to ask about it.

'I'm guessing none of you guys know about the legend of Thaumus? Caesar asked of them stopping in front of Leonard, Yulie and Kara.

'Only that he was a troll warrior' Leonard admitted only having heard about the troll from the child back in the village. He actually thought the location was just a name not a place named after a hero.

Caesar shook his head at their knowledge of the local area and its history.

'He wasn't just _any_ troll warrior. He fought the Knights back in ancient times' Caesar told them.

'No way!' Leonard exclaimed in amazement. 'Did he win?'

'Of course not. You heard what Setti told us' Kara answered before Caesar could get a word in. 'Not surprising seeing as it was five against one'

'Ah, but was it _just_ five against one?' Caesar challenged. 'There have been slabs depicting him standing over many defeated Knights'

'Is that true? Is that even possible? I thought there were only five!' Leonard exclaimed clearly not believing what the young Lord was saying.

'It could be if magic was involved' Alastor chipped in from up ahead. He had kept on walking when the others had stopped so Leonard and Yulie had to jog to catch up to him evidently eager to hear his view on things.

'Back in those days, all sorts of lore were around. Some of which are now known now as Forbidden or Forgotten lore. One of the most disturbing branches of lore was Necronomis: the art of summoning the dead'

Even Eldore could not hide his curiosity at the Spellcaster's words. The fact that they were all silent as they listened to him was as if he had put them under a spell himself.

'It didn't really mean they could bring the dead back to life, but they could summon the spirits of those long deceased and place them inside Incorrupti shells. They wouldn't have been effective as the Five _we're_ after but would be controllable enough to become a major threat to any enemies Yshrenia may have had. Which was plentiful after the death of the Sage King and their current emperor declared war on the realms'

'Surely such an act could not have lasted long' Eldore protested referring to the bound souls place in the Incorrupti.

'Just temporal, but it got the job done' Alastor corrected.

'So, what's the deal with the troll and this sword?' Yulie asked looking specifically at Alastor hoping for another intriguing history spiel.

'Thaumus was the last of a clan of warrior trolls who sided neither with Yshrenia nor Athwan. To the Yshrenians, anyone who was not with them was against them and destroyed his whole clan' Alastor told them. 'Wishing to make a stand against the Yshrenians for what they did, knowing that it was suicide, he asked a favour from a human tribe his tribe were allies with to create a special blade that could cut through the armour of an Incorruptus'

'That blade was Talion and he wielded it here in this very canyon cutting through the Incorrupti ranks until he was met by the big five themselves' Caesar suddenly cut in apparently jealous that his former bodyguard was getting all the attention. 'Sure, he was killed, but what a guy, huh? To actually defend this canyon from an entire army of Knights only to fall at the final hurdle…'

It was awe inspiring. Because of his actions, Thaumus had saved the many tribes that inhabited the canyon that eventually became Frass Chasm. In tribute to his heroism and bravery, the tribes carved countless monuments of him in ranges and sizes going from ones that could be held in the palm of your hand to the greatest monument of them all: Thaumus Rock, the very monument carved by the blacksmith tribe who forged Talion and stowed it away known only by the tribes and the Athwani Spellcasters who came to pray in honour of his sacrifice.

'But, Cisna said it was the Athwani who created the sword' Leonard protested.

'And that was what created the gap between the tribe and the Athwani. By taking credit for the creation of the blade, they made themselves enemies of the tribe' Said Alastor stopping to look up into the blue sky. 'To the descendants of the tribe, anything related to the Dogma War is taboo and punished by banishment'

'They're tribe is still around?' Yulie asked.

Alastor just shrugged and continued on walking. Not without leaving these words in his wake.

'If they are, prey they come in peace'

Seeing as story time was now over, the group followed after him but not without Caesar starting up another conversation. The topic: the most important something they would protect.

Leonard instantly replied by saying the Princess' name. It was obvious to all of them even before the first syllable left his mouth. Throughout the course of their journey it was apparent that the youth, who had first taken this quest out of duty, was now doing it for something much deeper.

Yulie's reply was to protect her children, providing she ever became a parent. Her answer however allowed her to now envision two kids, a girl with short, spikey blue hair, boundless optimism and a natural talent for magic and a boy with darker purple-blue hair that rarely smiled but did his utmost to help out those in need. Just imagining them nearly caused the archer to blush at who her husband would have to be.

Eldore just shrugged off the question. He himself knew the answer to that and it would remain that way for as long as possible.

Kara meanwhile threw the question back at the young Lord who just looked at her in such a way that caused her to blush slightly as she looked away from him.

As for the last member of the group…

'Never really thought about it' Alastor shrugged evading the question.

'Oh, I think you have' Caesar pressed tapping his temple to indicate he knew more than what the Spellcaster was letting on. 'Want me to tell them?'

Alastor gritted his teeth with such force at the young Lord's question that it would not have been surprising if a loud crack was heard as a tooth broke in two under the force. If he were to keep silent, Caesar would probably blab whatever he saw with his Dragonsight regardless of whether or not it was of the utmost importance to him or not. And lately, his mind had been wandering to-

'Those I care about' He muttered finally. 'Both the Legion and you guys are the only people I've stuck my neck out for'

For most of the group, it did not sound like much merely just an easy way of answering the question without anything specific. To one of them, however, it was plenty.

**~#~**

'You sure that this is the only way across?' Yulie asked staring in disbelief at the enormous dandelion in her hands before shivering slightly at the drop just a step away from her.

They were finally nearing the site of the trade off, the only problem being that it was on the other side of the gorge. While Caesar and Alastor could probably transport them across via Knight and magic respectively, it was a unanimous decision that they saved their strength for the possible battle ahead. After all, there was no way this was going to be a simple trade off.

Fortunately, for those wishing to travel the canyons of Frass, a unique brand of dandelion grew along the edges at various intervals. With a stem over ten feet tall, one could actually use them to glide for a short period of time that was long enough to get from one side of the canyon to the next. All that was required was to have a strong grip, a head for heights and be sure to check that the wind was in your favour lest you wished to go back the way you came.

Unfortunately, Yulie seemed to be only just discovering she had no head for heights.

"You could try jumping" Caesar suggested holding his own dandelion as they waited for the wind to begin blowing north.

Yulie glared at the young Lord, mentally asking if he was for real, before focusing back on her current fear of the moment. If there was ever a time for her to say that she wanted to go home, now would definitely be the time. Only her stubbornness and determination prevented her from leaving them, while a not so subtle kick from Alastor prevented her from doing naught but screaming as she floated across the gorge.

'WHEN YOU GET OVER HERE, I'M GONNA KICK YOUR ASS, MAGICIAN-BOY!' She yelled once she had found her feet on solid ground on the far side of the canyon not at all caring about who heard her while the others just began reaching the cliff.

Alastor chuckled as he leapt from the ledge clutching his own dandelion. He was halfway across before being buffeted suddenly by a strong wind that forced him in a different direction as he clung for dear life. He was fortunate enough that the wind blew him close enough to the canyon wall for him to grab a handhold and hoist him onto a cliff path that lead in an entirely different direction.

'That was interesting' Alastor muttered as he pulled himself to his feet.

'You okay over there?' Leonard called out from where he and the rest were.

'Yeah, I'm fine' The Spellcaster called back. 'Keep going, I'll find a way back round'

'But…' Yulie tried to come up with an argument but was unable to before Alastor disappeared round the corner to parts unknown.

'Don't sweat it, girl. That guy's a miniature Knight in his own rights' Caesar comforted her.

'He can handle himself. For now, we must hurry' Eldore said as he continued along the path towards the headstone with Leonard on his tail.

While Yulie did agree that Alastor could hold his own against all save the Incorrupti, one thing prevented her feeling of unease from leaving her: He could have easily levitated himself back over?

**~#~**

'Couldn't wait until we got to Thaumus Rock, could you?' Alastor questioned the wind as he walked through the clearing to the charcoal pygmy greaver that was in the far corner. 'Or were you too eager to settle our fight from the tavern?'

'Can't it be both?' Isaac asked from his perch atop the extra crispy greaver grinning eagerly for the battle ahead.

Shrugging in reply to the Magi officer's question, Alastor slipped into his battle stance. He had known from the moment the warm gust of air struck him who it was that was asking for his attention. Instead of just ignoring the summons or even telling the others about it, the Spellcaster, perhaps foolishly, accepted the unvoiced challenge

Grin widening at the sight of the fellow Spellcaster preparing for battle, Isaac stood up throwing off his cloak allowing him to move more freely. As if sensing the upcoming bloodfest, the molten grey gauntlets seemed to crackled with red and black sparks shooting across them.

'My name is Isaac, _God of Hellfire_!' He proclaimed as he ignited his gauntlets, black and red flames licking along their entire length. 'And I'm gonna cook you slowly!'

Alastor replied by launching a lightning bolt at the officer only for Isaac to launch himself into the air before charging back down at him with his right arm cocked right back.

**~#~**

After walking through the narrow canyon, the group found themselves in front of a natural stone bridge that lead to the huge monument depicting the head of Thaumus the warrior troll.

Standing in front of the shrine stood several familiar faces as well as one unfamiliar cloaked person as well as a few grunts who were keeping the princess from running to them right this moment.

'Welcome, my most persevering friends' Grazel greeted them as Shapur and Trent stood behind him with their left hands resting on their sheaths in case the trade-off went south.

'So this guy's the man in charge' Caesar said attempting to use his Draagonsight on their new opponents only to frown when he found it blocked similarly as to when he tried it on Eldore.

The wizened Swordmage had tensed slightly upon recognising the cloaked individual, Trent, having crossed weapons with the demon several times in the past. At that moment, he knew that things would not be easy for them.

'What say you we dispense with the formalities and get to business? Give me the Arks in your possession' Grazel demanded of them.

'As soon as you release the Princess!' Leonard threw right back.

'No. I asked you first'

Yulie nearly rolled her eyes at the two. It was almost as if this were nothing more than a simple fight between children daring the other to do something first. Was this a rescue or just some big childish game to them?

Seeing as he needed to use a little more persuasion to prompt him, Grazel drew his sword and pressed it to Princess Cisna's neck. The single drop of blood that trickled down the girl's neck was all that was needed to prompt both Leonard and Caesar to summon and remove their Arks from their persons and rest them on the ground halfway between the two sides.

Once the two Pactmakers had returned to their group, Grazel gave the order to Trent to release their captive who just nodded to the two grunts who cut Cisna free from her ropes allowing her to walk away from them unscathed. Only when she was more than halfway to the other team did she run straight towards Leonard and wrap her arms round his waist catching him by surprise.

Caesar was sure his eyes were playing tricks on him. They had handed over their Arks and, in return, the Magi released the princess, a perfect trade off. So what in God's name was wrong with this picture?

Eldore too was suspicious of how smooth things went. The enemy was not even attempting to make a move on them. Were they waiting perhaps for whatever Alastor had gone off to face assuming the Spellcaster would be easy to overcome then strike them from both sides? Whatever the case, the Magi were indeed waiting for something.

_I don't get this_ Caesar thought in his heart of hearts. _They gave us the Princess after we handed over the Arks. Then again, they still won't be able to_ '-Of course! Leonard, get away from her!'

Confused by the young Lord's words, Leonard was almost caught off guard when Cisna pulled back far enough to draw the dagger hidden in the folds of her skirt before plunging it towards his throat with a look a dark look scorning her face. Almost as he managed to knock the doppelganger away before she could deal the fatal blow.

'Only the Pactmaker can touch a Knight's Ark. You're getting sloppy' Kara smirked. as

'What can I say, even I have off days' Caesar remarked cooly as he felt Kara press her blade to the back of his throat.

**~#~#~#~**

_Another cliffy for you to hang from_

_Review if possible & until next month_

_Watch this space & peace out._


	14. Ordeal of Fire

_Disclaimer on chapter 1_

_**~#~#~#~**_

**~#**_The night before__**#~**_

'_You should eat something' Caesar suggested between bites of a drumstick that had come from whatever game they had bagged before entering the canyon._

_Kara just ignored him. It was her shift for watch yet the young Lord opted to join her despite his shift had already ended. Even after telling him several times, he still did not catch the hint that she wanted to be alone to contemplate a few personal thoughts of her own._

'_It's my turn to take watch' She told him for what felt like the hundredth time. How Alastor put up with him for _three years_ was something she doubted she could do._

'_Come on. Are my attempts at being friendly boring you that much?' Caesar asked tossing the stripped bone into the fire before reaching for another drumstick._

'_Keep it up, you'll find out just how _boring_ you really are' Kara replied fingering the hilt of her rapier._

_Caesar apparently never caught the venom in her voice when she said that as he sat back again with another drumstick in hand that he offered to the blonde swordswoman for a bite._

'_Don't touch me!' She snarled slapping the proffered drumstick out of Caesar's hand._

_The moment their hands touched, Caesar found himself being barraged by memories that were not his own. Memories from Kara, both before and after he had first met her showing her in that alluring dancer's dress Leonard and the others found her in and in a suit of armour the others knew all too well. _

'_I guess it's true then, Kara…Or should I say, _General Dragias_?' The young Lord asked sitting back down. 'You _are_ the Black Knight, aren't you?'_

_Immediately, Kara's personality changed as she stood up. Gone was the appearance of a dancing girl still mourning slightly for her deceased sister she was trying to avenge. In her place stood a woman whose cold eyes reflected the killer within as she pointed her rapier at Caesar's throat._

'_Well this changes everything, _friend_' Her voice now missing the A__lbanan accent. 'You know my secret'_

'_I won't fight you, if that's what you're asking' Caesar told her not at all fazed by the blade pointed at his jugular. 'Go ahead and kill me'_

_Kara needed no second telling even if her target was not going to plead for his life. Pulling back her rapier, she made to decapitate the young Lord before proceeding to the tent and assassinating the others then returned to her Lord. Yet, she paused, hesitated even._

'_The Dragonsight let me down' The young Lord sighed in disappointment that actually caused Kara to lower her blade. Slightly._

'_How so' She could not help but ask._

'_Even through dragon's eyes, I look at you and see you as a _friend_'_

'Your friend_?' Kara scoffed throwing her rapier so that it stabbed the ground by Caesar's __leg the whole thing sounding ridiculous to her. 'You really are naïve. I'm far from a friend. I'm your worst enemy. Who do you think killed Leonard and Yulie's king?'_

_She had now crouched down in front of Caesar as she grabbed the handle of her rapier yet Caesar still remained unconcerned with the fact that he was away to die. Was he that dense or just always this calm?_

'_So let me get this straight. _You're_ the Black Knight. The Magi's finest warrior?' He asked finally looking Kara in the eyes before shaking__ his head in disbelief chuckling slightly at some unseen joke. 'Sorry, sister. But you don't have half the smarts even to pretend to be that guy'_

_It was the wrong thing to say to Kara who immediately tackled the young Lord to the ground and pressed a dagger to his throat. Then again, maybe this was his plan the entire time._

'_It's the truth. _I'm_ General Dragias' She told him pressing the blade of the dagger further into his skin. 'And I think I would remember snuffing out the life of a king!'_

'_Are you really sure now?' Caesar threw back sounding like he was enjoying this a little too much due to their position. 'You can't exactly trust your own memories, you know. Things can easily be changed by the right kind of person'_

_Having had a Spellcaster under his roof for three years, Caesar was bound to have asked Alastor about lore and magic sooner or later. While not interested enough to learn any of the mumbo-jumbo and hocus-pocus the frowning magician excelled at, he was curious enough about certain aspects of the art. Say, for example, a time in your life you seemed to be missing._

_Kara could only stare down at the young Lord as if he had grown an extra head. 'What are you saying?'_

'_Is Dragias a part of you, or is it the other way around?' Caesar elaborated coolly._

_This actually caused Kara to pause. A small part of her deep down inside actually wanted that to be true, for some reason. Perhaps that was just the side of her that had actually enjoyed the time she had spent with the group. Including the young Lord she was straddling for some odd reason._

_Before she could contemplate these strange thoughts running through her head, Kara quickly sprang off of Caesar while sheathing both dagger and rapier at the sound of someone getting up and approaching the tent flap._

'_Hey, what's going on out here?' Yulie asked still sounding half asleep._

'_Nothing much' Caesar replied pulling his eyes away from Kara as he stood up 'I was just about to hit the sack anyway'_

_It took all Kara had not to roll her eyes at the way the young Lord hid his disappointment at being interrupted. He should actually count his blessings, until he suddenly spills about whom she really is forcing her to kill them both before either could raise the alarm._

''_Night, Kara. Let's talk again soon' Caesar called out to her causing her to look away from him before she just buried her rapier in his face here and now._

'_How Alastor managed to put up with him for three years must have been nothing short of a miracle' She muttered sourly actually admiring the man for having a level patience she did not have._

'_I'm sure he sent a few spells Caesar's way during his time under him. Not enough to actually hurt him, but to at least warn him about who his servant was' Yulie pointed out probably thinking of the Spellcaster in question as she said that judging by the smile on her face._

_Her own mouth twitched upwards at the archer's words as she imagined Alastor striking the young Lord's backside with a lightning bolt or something similar. Too bad he did not 'accidentally' kill him but beggars could not be choosers as the saying went._

'_If he tries whatever he did again tomorrow night, just sock him one in the kisser' She heard Yulie suggest to her that actually brought a smile to her face at how alike the two were._

'_You forget that I used to work in a tavern as a dancer' She reminded the girl. 'I know how to deal with men who wish to get between my legs'_

'_Hit them between theirs'_

_Unable to hold it in, Kara laughed quietly along with Yulie rethinking that they were similar. If their paths had crossed differently, she would definitely want to get to know the girl before her that she was starting to think of as a younger sister, one that actually existed this time. She already knew enough about her to know that she was starting to fall for Alastor as well as she had a fear for anything more than four legs._

'_If you want, I can take your shift for you' She offered. As much as she liked Yulie, the topics concerning a young Lord and herself was something she was not up for discussing._

_She was surprised when Yulie shook her head, declining her offer. She would have argued had she not suddenly remembered who had the shift after the archer and held back from smirking at what she might have in store._

'_Don't let the bedbugs bite' She teased her ducking under the tent flap as Yulie's whine reached her ears._

_Deciding to at least help her out to apologise for her joke, Kara chucked out Yulie's weapons in case of an actual bug or beast approaching, before her mind quickly wandered back to her objective as she settled down for the night in her cot._

'_I know what I have to do' She muttered to herself. 'So why can't I do it?'_

_**~#**__Present__**#~**_

'You're a sweet man, too sweet for your own good' Kara told Caesar as she kept her blade rested along the young Lord's jugular. 'But now, you and Leonard must die!'

It was only when he heard Kara mention him dying that Leonard looked over to where the blonde was and the position she and Caesar were in. Even Yulie and Eldore could not comprehend the apparent backstabbing that was taking place.

'You-You're a _spy_?!' Yulie asked in disbelief. She had thought of her like an older sister, even treated her as such, and this was how she repaid them?

'You should have listened to Alastor back in Albana. You lot really are far too trusting' Kara told them her emotions sealed away behind an iron door in her mind.

Leonard made to draw his sword only to realise all too late that someone else's was pressed against his chest. Looking round, he saw that Grazel had crossed the distance between them while he was distracted with Kara allowing the leader of the Magi to get passed his defences without even realising.

'Now then, let's end this little trade, shall we?' He asked pulling his arm back in preparation to plunge his blade through Leonard's heart allowing him to take the Ark of the White Knight.

All Leonard could do was close his eyes and wait for the blow to come. He was surprised, along with everyone else, when the ground began to quake beneath his feet. Allowing the trembling earth beneath his feet to take him away from the blade so very nearly took his life, Leonard looked round at the others hoping one of them might know what was going on.

**~#~**

Clanging loudly as the staff landed a fair ways from his hands, Alastor was forced into resorting to unarmed combat skills to fend off the rain of blows Isaac was throwing at him. Perhaps it was fortunate that he had decided to go against Leonard and Caesar that day as the fruits of that hard day of training seemed to pay off as he matched the mysterious Spellcaster blow for blow managing to get in a few decent strikes while defending.

Taking a quick step back after a left hook went wide, Alastor quickly pressed forward with a repulse spell that knocked Isaac back a fair ways, far enough to allow him to summon his staff as he charged towards the stunned fist fighter. Bringing his staff down from above after jumping up, Alastor failed to notice the smirk on Isaac's face before delivering a viscous uppercut at the descending staff sending the blue haired Spellcaster tumbling back the way he came.

In a move that almost mimicked Alastor's, Isaac jumped into the air with his right arm wound back only to be sent back the way he came when a lightning bolt caught him clean in the chest hurling him straight into the corpse of the burnt pygmy greaver.

'You bastard!' Isaac growled as he stood up pointing at his damaged chest where blood was changing the colour of his charred tunic. 'You've really done it this time!'

Getting up from his crouched position, Alastor braced himself for whatever the angry Isaac was about to unleash upon him.

'If you think I'm gonna forgive you for hurting me like this…_You're right_!' Isaac told him smiling as he tenderly touched his wound. 'I mean, a simple healing spell and it would be like I was never injured, right?'

'Um…Yeah?' Alastor replied unsurely completely thrown off by Isaac's sudden change of heart as he foolishly lowered his guard.

In the time it took to draw breath, Alastor suddenly found himself struck with a powerful fire spell that sent him skidding across the ground kicking up a trail of dust as he went.

'Impressive' Isaac admired lowering the fist with the smouldering gauntlet. 'To actually put up Diamondshell quickly enough to defend against my attack, no easy feat I assure you'

'Not quick enough' Alastor corrected standing up to let Isaac see the damage the spell did to his tunic. The whole left front had been burnt to cinders leaving just the cuff of his left sleeve hanging from his arm. Asides that, he appeared to be unharmed.

'Still, impressive' Isaac pressed before punching the air again sending another fireball at Alastor who, more prepared this time, batted it away with his staff.

'If you were impressed by that, you'll be amazed by this!' Alastor declared swinging his staff down.

As if an invisible force suddenly struck him, Isaac found himself suddenly being slammed bodily into the ground before another strike propelled him upwards. Slamming his staff point first into the ground, Alastor finished his enemy off with a powerful lightning bolt from the heavens themselves that sent Isaac crashing back to the ground.

'Sorry to beat and run, but there's some friends I need to return to' Alastor remarked to the smoking crater before turning his back on it and made to leave the clearing.

'Oh? But we're just getting started!'

Stopping at the sound of the man's voice, Alastor whirled around in surprise to see Isaac strolling out of the crater completely unharmed. Even the wound dealt earlier had been healed.

'Guess I underestimated you' Alastor admitted before creating a powerful lightning vortex dome, with Isaac at the centre, creating a powerful explosion that no one could have survived.

At least, no one _should have _survived. Too stunned he was at the appearance of Isaac speeding towards him, unharmed yet again, Alastor was unable to react in time to block the punches to his solar plexus and jaw one after the other before another sent him clear across the clearing.

'Darn right you underestimated me!' Isaac smirked as he watched Alastor struggle to stand on his feet still reeling from the blows he just took. 'Like I said, we're just getting started!'

The smirk left his face when Alastor suddenly disappeared from where he stood. The next second, a barrage of elemental staff blows, fire and ice most likely, struck him from all sides leaving him covered in burns and frost marks as he wobbled unsteadily on his feet from the attack.

'You're starting…' Alastor began reappearing in front of Isaac with the tip of his staff pressing into Isaac's chest. '…I'm finishing!'

A large pillar of fiery red erupted from the top of Alastor's staff that crashed into the canyon wall at the far side of the clearing that wiped his opponent from the face of the earth. When the pillar disappeared, all that was left were black marks on the ground and a charcoal circle on the wall.

'Get out of that!' He scoffed as he made to leave once again only to find himself being knocked to the ground by something exploding against his back.

'Do I surpass you're expectations?' Isaac asked dusting himself off as he strolled calmly towards Alastor. Once again, there was not a single mark on him as if the attack had no effect on him.

'What the hell are you?!" Alastor demanded quickly healing the burning sensation in his back before rounding on the inhuman being.

'Me? I thought I already told you' Isaac said as his gauntlets burst into purple and black flames while wings of pure fire of the same colours sprouted from his back and hoisted him into the air. 'I'm Isaac the God of Hellfire, and your demise!'

**~#~**

If there was one thing Grazel hated, it was being interrupted in the middle of finishing off his enemy. Preparing to end the life of the wretch who had hindered his plans thus far, he was not prepared for the sudden earthquake that had started. But was it natural or manmade?

'What now!' He demanded turning to Trent who seemed to be the only one unaffected by the tremors.

Trent just pointed to the monument that had suddenly split down the middle and was now emitting a bright blue light. As the light grew, the Princess doppelganger suddenly dropped to her knees clutching her heart. The Magi leader knew instantly what was happening.

'The wench is using magic from the ship!' He cursed speaking of the real Princess Cisna who was using the ancient magic within her to awaken the trial of Thaumus who would oversee who was worthy to wield his blade.

While the enemy was focusing on the latest development in the ever changing trade-off, Leonard and Caesar took the chance to dart passed and reclaim their Arks hence evening the playing field once again. Causing Grazel to curse once again as his plan to claim the rest of the Arks was failed, his only condolence being the claiming of the Knight slaying blade as it appeared between the two halves of the monument.

Thinking along the same lines, Kara moved away from the group revealing the one thing that would prove whose side she was truly on, both to them and to herself.

'_O, Dinivas, deliverer of dark and dread, ruler of the ancient shadow__s, grant me your power…_' She called out summoning the black sword that brought forth the winged Knight of darkness himself. '_Verto_!'

'Kara's the _Black Knight_?!' Leonard asked shocked at what he was seeing.

The others, apart from Caesar, were just as shocked and almost unable to believe what they were seeing. The girl they had met and befriended, she was the very person who could go blow for blow with Leonard and Caesar when they were Knights?

While they were preoccupied with the truth about Kara, the doppelganger pulled a Rosetta Seal from the folds of her attire and activated it transforming into a legendary classed Gigas known as the Lamia Comitis, a giant mantis looking creature.

With their Arks back in their possession, Leonard and Caesar quickly transformed themselves for the battle ahead of them.

**~#~**

Grunting as the force of the blast knocked him off his feet, Alastor quickly rolled out of the way of another fireball Isaac tossed his way who was clearly enjoying himself as he threw fireball after fireball at the blue haired Spellcaster.

'You can't run forever!' Isaac taunted as he launched two more fireballs at him.

'But I can for a while!' Alastor snapped back as he avoided the spells.

What he really needed was time to think up a plan that would actually work against the fire caster; one that would actually leave him mortally wounded for more than a brief moment at any rate. No matter what he threw at him, Isaac seemed to just eat it up, as if he were immortal.

'Oh? How about against this, then?' Isaac challenged launching two fireballs in different directions that began to home in on Alastor simultaneously.

Unlike the other fireballs that were sent Alastor's way, these ones were black and purple and twice as fast as normal fireballs forcing the Spellcaster to cocoon himself in a cone of stone spears before the attack connected. The following explosion wiped the cone from existence leaving a smouldering wreck.

'That's it? Crud, I wanted to play more!' Isaac moaned before finally noticing the multiple cones that pockmarked the clearing in front of him causing him to grin at the prospect of continuing their battle.

The first to be bombed was at the far right of the clearing: empty. The one second closest to the greaver corpse: empty. The one third from the left of the rocky outcrop at the edge of the clearing: empty.

With every less cone protruding from the ground, and with no shred of Alastor's remains, Isaac was becoming more frustrated while equally excited; no one had ever lasted this long against him, after all. All too soon however, the cones were all gone leaving pillars of black smoke in their wake and no sign of Isaac's opponent.

'He ran away, did he?' Isaac muttered sounding disappointed. 'And he proclaimed what I stated was bac-'

He was interrupted by something connecting with his head sending him crashing down to the ground. Taking to the air once more, Isaac looked up to see Alastor hovering just above where he was previously.

'That'll leave a mark' Isaac remarked rubbing his sore head. 'So that's where you've been hiding! Keeping me occupied while you sneak up behind me'

'Not really. I had relocate myself _five times_ to avoid your attacks' Alastor admitted indeed looking slightly more burnt in several spots from not teleporting away quick enough.

'So, what was your reason behind this little trick? Trying to buy time to say goodbye to that little archer girl?' Isaac asked.

'First off, if she were here, Yulie would have slugged you for that remark' Alastor said as the tip of his staff began to glow. 'Secondly, I've been using the time my little trick bought to work out your flaw!'

Isaac just quirked an eyebrow, it was a bluff, had to be. With a feral grin etched to his face, he braced himself for whatever spell Alastor was going to throw at him then finish the Spellcaster off. The battle was fun but now it was getting old and he hated repeat performances.

Pointing his staff at Isaac, Alastor unleashed a large multi-coloured beam of energy at the Pyromancer. Smirking at the attack, Isaac did not even try to evade instead stood his ground and let the attack come to him. When the spell was close enough, Isaac just pulled back his arm and struck the spell with his fist dispelling it into hundreds of miniature light orbs.

'After all that, this was all you could come up with? And I thought you were supposed to be one of the best Spellcasters of your generation' Isaac scoffed.

'You won't be smiling in a second'

Isaac laughed at the retort, until he realised that the orbs were still lingering around and not fading away. In fact, they were starting to turn into sharp needle-like objects that were all pointing at him. Before he could react, the Pyromancer was struck from all angles, barely refraining from screaming out in pain as the needles jabbed into him before disappearing. It was only once all the needles had been used up did Isaac plummet to the ground landing in a bloody heap.

Sighing in relief, Alastor landed lightly on the ground himself quickly renewing the numbing and energising that was keeping him on his feet before walking over to the bloodied Pyromancer who was miraculously still alive.

'Have to admit, that fire art of yours sure is something. Too bad it only absorbs high level spells and not low level' He said as he stared down at Isaac.

'Heh…so you figured it out…huh? Of course you did…you beat me after all' Isaac managed to spit out. The pain he was experiencing right now was something he had never thought possible. 'So…gonna finish me?'

Alastor looked like he was contemplating on doing just that before turning round and walked away from him. The battle was over and there was a good chance the others were in trouble if the Magi had gone out of their way to separate him from the rest.

'Heh…your loss…Next time we meet…I'm not holding back!' Isaac called out to him before passing out.

**~#~**

Over at Thaumus Rock, things were not going so well at the moment.

Leonard was doing all he could just to keep his feet firmly planted on the ground despite the gigas pressing her attack and trying to shove him over the edge.

Both in the air and on the ground, Caesar and Kara played a deadly dance of death with each other while the former attempted to bring back the dancing swordswoman he had come to know over their time together.

'**C'mon, Kara, why do this? We're your friends, aren't we?**' Caesar asked as he locked weapons with her.

'**You have no idea what I have been through!**' Kara threw back kicking Caesar away from her. '**Before Grazel found me, I was an orphan living off scraps on the street! Each day, I feared would be my last until he found me!**'

'**Then let me in! I've told you that I want to know you better, I'm willing to listen!**' Caesar replied keeping on the defensive even though he had several chances to take the offensive. '**Believe me when I say that!**'

As the two battles amongst the titans took place, those of regular height and stature were in just as fierce a battle. As Yulie did her best to keep Shapur away from her, Eldore found himself going up against Trent who had merely pulled one arm out of his cloak to fend off the Swordmage's attacks.

'You're attacks have grown soft since we last time we crossed blades' Trent mocked the old man as he parried his attacks.

'Perhaps, but I am unlike you. I had to reach here through other means' Eldore countered as he stepped back to unleash a barrage of spells against him.

'Feh, even back then, your powers did little to affect me!' Trent replied as he swatted the elemental assault. 'All you have done is make your death more painful at the knowledge of what the Emperor shall do once we have obtained the Knights'

With a single swipe of his short sword, Trent knocked Eldore away before walking back to the right side of Grazel as he watched the Knights do battle.

'Kara, forget about him. Obtain the sword' He ordered the Black Knight.

Kara paused for a moment, as if contemplating whether to obey Grazel and get the sword or just continue battling against Caesar. Eventually, one side emerged victorious and Kara ignored Caesar in favour of grabbing Talion, the blade capable of injuring even a Knight, with the Dragon Knight right on her tail.

It was to both Knights surprise when, as they each leapt for the blade, both were repelled as if shoved away from the blade by a powerful force field. The force strong enough that Leonard and the Gigas had to put off their battle in order to move out of the way in time for the two as they shot passed having to take to the skies before they ran out of ground.

'**Why can't I take it?**' Snarled Kara her hands slightly numb from the force field.

Evidently this was the test to claim the sword, something the ancient had done to ensure, if history were to repeat itself, it would go to the right side. But how does the test proceed? Did Talion go to whoever could break through the force field that cut off the weak from the strong? Or was there a more subtle, obvious answer that stood in front of them.

Despite the unknown factor in this test, Leonard suddenly darted towards the monument. Tossing his sword away, which had the fortune of nearly catching Shapur had he not dove away, the White Knight lunged at the monument with his right arm drew back. He did not aim for the sword between the two parts, but the right eye of the monument plunging it elbow deep into the disguised opening before pulling it back out with the real Talion.

'What just happened? Isn't the sword..?' Yulie trailed off seeing the sword still nesting between the two halves fade away.

'Of course! Thaumus only had _one eye_' Eldore exclaimed recalling what the village kids had told them. 'The carving clearly shows Thaumus with _two __eyes_ so that only those who knew of the troll would notice the discrepancy'

Leonard had apparently remembered also and had decided to hedge all bets on the sword being hidden behind the eye in the monument Thaumus did not have in real life.

This changed everything for Grazel. In order for his plans to come about, he needed all of the Knights, intact and undamaged. With that thought in mind, he wisely called Kara to stand down before any damage could befall the girl's Knight. Despite protesting, Kara complied with her Lord's order and followed him back to the monoship leaving the Gigas, Lamia Comitis, to tackle both the White and Dragon Knights.

As she watched the creature fall against their combined might, she could not help but feel sad. Not for the Gigas, whose Pactmaker was dead the moment it was summoned, but for herself. She could not help but feel as if she had just separated herself from her true friends, those who actually liked and respected her for who she truly was, not what she wielded.

'Farewell. It really was fun…while it lasted' She whispered before stepping inside the monoship as it took off leaving Caesar and the others to deal with the consequences of their battle.

**~#~#~#~**

_And so concludes another chapter. Review if possible & until next time_

_Watch this space & peace out._


	15. Greaverback Dilema

_Disclaimer on chapter 1_

_**~#~#~#~**_

Caesar was sad, more than sad. He had known since last night who Kara was and had done whatever he could within his power to show her that he still wanted to be her friend even if she was the enemy- correction, _supposedly_ the enemy. His personal heartbreak would have to wait however, there were more important things for him, and the others, to be worrying about right now.

'Someone mind telling why the ground's shaking like there's no tomorrow?' He asked as he tried to keep his footing.

'The sounds of battle have awakened _them_…' Eldore cursed.

The battle between the Knights and Gigas, the heavy footfalls and reverberations of their weapons clashing, coupled possibly by whatever battle Alastor was in, had echoed throughout the entire canyon disturbing the greaver from its slumber. Whether infuriated or scared, the giant creature was now stomping through the canyons right towards them!

'Can you fly us out of here?' Leonard asked Caesar.

'Hey, I'm good but not that good' Caesar told him as he looked around. 'Man, of all the times for Al not to be around!'

'You don't think he's…?' Yulie asked worriedly.

'If he is, we might be joining him shortly'

With the way back, the only way back, already covered with the gaseous smog and the creature too large to be taken on with their Knights, it seemed that their adventure was coming to an abrupt end. Or was it?

Shooting over their heads from the blue sky, the group were surprised and relieved to see Osmund and a team of Windwalkers land near the edge of the clearing. Apparently, the chief of Baccea village and Captain of the Windwalker fleet was impatient and had decided to come see for himself where they were and what they were up to and hopefully bomb the enemy at the same time.

'Need a ride?' The papitaur pilot called out to them cheerfully.

'Seeing as you're offering!' Caesar replied cheerfully as the group clambered onto the gliders.

'What about Alastor?!' Yulie called out over the now loud rumbling of the ground coupled with the engines of the gliders.

If any of them had called out in reply, it was lost over the roar of the wind as the gliders took off down the canyon in the hopes of escaping the stampeding greaver. That hope was dwindling greatly as the greaver appeared as if from nowhere and seemed to be following them as they shot down the canyon. It was as if they were just suspended in mid-air the way the greaver kept coming closer no matter how hard the Windwakers pushed their gliders.

With the cavernous maws of the gargantuan creature practically upon them, Osmund ordered his squad upwards allowing them to avoid the jagged pit. All they had to contend with now, as the greaver shot passed underneath them, was the forest of the greaver's, for lack of a better word, back hair where a single one could take a ring of five to ten and even twenty grown men to circumvent at the base and was as hard as rock. It was a task made all the more harder due to the greaver venting its natural gas.

Being too much of a challenge without adding the change in seeing conditions, it was all the Windwalkers could do to ensure that their landings were not too rough. Even with all their skills, the gliders were reduced to cloth and twisted metal as they collided with the hairs sending pilots and passengers sailing through the air to land on the greaver's back none too gently.

'That was pleasant' Caesar groaned as he sat up nursing the new lump on the back of his head. 'This had better not be permanent

'Is everyone still here?' Leonard asked as he got up.

'More or less. Still in one piece at least' Eldore replied staggering to his feet. 'Unfortunately, our original problems shall have to take a backseat to a more pressing matter at hand'

He held a valid point. While they were all unharmed, for the most part, they were currently on a large moving object that was showing no signs of slowing down judging by how fast the landscape was speeding by.

'Are…Are you saying that…we're on…?!' Yulie tried to ask as she took in all the moss and fungus filled terrain.

'The greaver's back' Eldore supplied for her.

With her fears confirmed, all Yulie could do was scream in fear and disgust.

_**~#~**_

'**I see you didn't listen to me when I told you not to hold back against him**' Kara scoffed as she landed in the clearing where the battle between Spellcasters had taken place. She was sorely tempted just to put her oversized, iron foot down on him to see if she could end his miserable life.

'C'mon, toots. You should know that I like to play with my food before eating- or has your time with your new friends made you forget about your _true allies_?' Isaac threw back in a cold manner even managing to smile despite looking like a broken, bloody mess.

Snarling at his words, Kara drew the Black Knight's rapier and stabbed it into the ground extremely close to Isaac's body. Even with the large instrument of destruction right at his side, Isaac just grinned knowing full well he had hit a raw nerve with the woman.

'You should be aware not to show weakness around the Farian, greedy little thing'll just as quickly take your life _and_ your Knight!' He said before yelping as Kara, not so gently, wrapped a hand round his battered body and took to the air again.

'**And you should now be aware that Alastor is more of a threa****t than you first realised!**' Kara hissed back wishing greatly that the Spellcaster in question had managed to end the insufferable bastard's life.

_**~#~**_

'Ugh! And I call myself a Windwalker!' Osmund cursed. 'Feh! More like a _Wind-compoop_!'

The rest of the Windwalkers among the group remained silent. They knew that even just trying to comfort the Chief would just send him on one of his temper tantrums. Instead, they focused on the plan that would see them off the greaver before motion sickness took hold.

The plan was to seek out one of the sensitive antenna, the ones the Windwalkers hit with their bombs to stun the creature and harvest its gas, in the hopes that, by mimicking the Windwalkers during harvest time, they will gain enough time for the rest of the Windwalker squadron to rescue them. The plan was insane- pure crazy even but, according to Caesar, just crazy enough to work.

The only trouble now was, trying to get there. The back of the greaver was as infested with plant and insectoid-like creatures as the forests that remain unmoving. Were someone crazy enough, they could quite possibly build a town or city atop a greaver similar to the people of old doing just that to the Demithor.

'Is it just me, or does anyone else feel like we're in an open aired version of the Underbelly?' Caesar asked after skewering another plant creature. 'Seriously, the only difference to me is the air. It's fresher, you know?"

'You're comparing places while we're stuck on some giant bug after finding out one of our friends turned out to be an enemy?!' Leonard asked taking out his frustration on another plant creature.

'Let us deal with one problem at a time starting with our current location dilemma' Eldore interjected between the two before another fight started out during their battle against the wildlife living on the back of the greaver.

Personally, Yulie preferred listening to the two bickering and wished that Eldore had not intervened as it distracted her from the current situation all the more enforced due to the amount of creepy-crawlies appearing every ten or so paces the group took towards the nearest antenna which just happened to be near the greaver's head where its neck would be.

While she had managed to keep her wits about her so far during this new leg of the trip, an ever growing piece of her could not help but drift to the whereabouts of Alastor, who had yet to be seen since the separation, and if had proven victorious over his foe or not. While she would dare not admit it out loud, the Spellcaster's presence regardless of being near or in the far corner of some room had become a natural thing to her and it felt slightly discomforting to know that he was not around to watch their backs.

'You had better be alive, Magician-boy' She growled as she pinned another bug creature to one of the greaver's hair with an arrow.

'This is no time to be talking to yourself, nincompoop' Osmund chided her. 'Very few nincompoops who managed to end up on one of these become dead nincompoops shortly after'

Yulie was about to retort when an explosion up ahead caused the entire group to jump in surprise. Had someone else ended up the same as them?

Quickly rushing towards where the explosion emanated from, it was only thanks to Leonard and Caesar's stopping them did they manage to avoid another explosion going off that sent charcoal cadavers of bugs and plant monsters scattering before their eyes.

'Well look what the greaver dragged in!' Caesar commented when he spotted a familiar blue haired Spellcaster standing in the epicentre of one of his own explosions.

'You guys must've landed a lot closer than I thought' Alastor grumbled.

'What happened to you?' Leonard asked taking in the Spellcaster's burnt form.

'Ran into an…_acquaintance_ I met back in Greede' The Spellcaster replied curtly although he probably had a much worse word to call the Pyromancer but was restraining himself to say it.

After his battle with Isaac in the clearing, the Spellcaster had begun making his way towards Thaumus Rock where the others were with haste in fear of what they might be up against when misfortune struck. He had been drifting over the chasm when the greaver was stirred from its slumber and was only just able to levitate himself high enough so that he was given a free ride instead of becoming a free meal assuming greavers could actually taste something as small as him.

No sooner had he managed to get his bearings did he suddenly find himself inhaling a lungful of the greaver gas while noticing several gliders flying and crashing into the hairs above his head. The only reason he did not worry about them was due to the fact that he had heard Yulie's scream upon realising where she was although he was definitely not going to say that part out loud for fear of consequences.

'This acquaintance of yours must be pretty hot" Caesar commented as he took in the burnt skin and charred remains of Alastor's appearance.

'He was a real nuisance, that's for sure' Alastor grumbled massaging one shoulder where a rather impressive burn covered the skin. 'Damn fire technique of his…'

'Isaac the God of Hellfire' Eldore cursed quietly. 'So they really are here!'

He had actually suspected as much the moment he had laid eyes on Trent when they first reached the monument. With those two around, his mission suddenly became a lot harder.

'Hey! What are you mumbling about back there?' Osmund called out to the Swordmage.

'Oh, nothing! Just an old man's ramblings over wishing he had as much knowledge and power as our friend here' Eldore waved off as he rejoined them. 'We are currently moving upwards towards the head where the nearest antenna is' He quickly explained to Alastor bringing the Spellcaster up to speed as they continued onwards.

All except for Yulie who was still staring after Alastor with pink cheeks. She had planned on berating the Spellcaster for being so stupid as to go off on his own when they barely managed to survive their encounter own at the monument only to swallow her tongue as she caught sight of his naked upper body. Even with the burns and heat blisters covering most of his skin, she could not help but like what she saw.

'Yulie!'

Starting at the sound of Leonard's voice calling her name, the archer mentally berated herself for coming so easily distracted as she quickly hurried after them. If there was one thing she did not want, it was to be left here all alone with the bugs and insects for company.

_**~#~#~#~**_

It was another five minutes of walking and swatting down monsters before Osmund, who was leading the group, suddenly stopped them as their path altered from mossy green and grey to a flat surface similar to the black grounds of hell with the fiery red veins of the molten core pulsing angrily beneath it. Perched on top of that was something reminiscent of a strange rock formation with a jagged line coursing down the middle of it.

'This is the most sensitive of spots to attack' The papitaur explained.

'Then what are we waiting for?' Leonard asked sounding impatient.

'Yeah, let's give the big guy a good knocking then make like birds' Caesar agreed.

'Wait you nincompoops!' The chieftain called after them but it was too late.

With a great tremor the sent everyone to their knees or backsides, the large rock formation-like scab split in two sending a thick cloud of the obnoxious gas into the eyes of them blinding them like a foul smelling fog. When the shakes and fog had finally subsided, Yulie was not the only one to yelp in shock at the sight of the large wormlike creature that had protruded from the centre of where the rock formation had been.

'_That's_ the antenna?!' She almost squeaked as she stared at the thing that looked a cross between a worm and some sort of sunflower the way several of the smaller heads surrounded the main face if it could be called that.

'What were you expecting, something small enough any nincompoop could take out just by standing on it?' Osmund retorted.

'Well, he does have a point' Caesar admitted as he looked up at the worm. 'But I still think that is one _big_ antenna'

'Perhaps you would like to take on its brethren instead?' Eldore suggested nodding at the ground where smaller tendrils similar to the antenna were sprouting up like weeds.

'Whichever I cut up first!' Was the young Lord's reply as he leapt forth into the fray with his spear held high and Leonard and Alastor following close behind him.

Cutting down the small antenna and swathing a path through them was easy. It was the ones that sprouted up to replace them and nearly send the three strongest of their group flying back the way they came that was the trick. The battlefield was similar to that of the mythical beast known as the Hydra where two heads quickly replaced the one that was lobbed off. Therefore, just like the warrior of old who seared closed the stumps where one head was cut off until there was naught left, a quick plan of attack was conjured.

Falling back to the edge of the battlefield, Alastor and Eldore began casting ice spells at the ground where Leonard and Caesar separated the smaller antenna from their master preventing more from appearing while Yulie took out any nearby antenna that were attempting to strike at the two Pactmakers while their attention was on another target.

Once the path to the real battle had been made, the two Pactmakers transformed into their Knights only to be immediately whipped away as the large antenna swung its huge, lengthy body like a chain mace.

'**So much for the direct approach!**' Caesar groaned as he stood up and brandished his spear at the antenna again. '**What now?**'

'**How's your throwing arm?**' Leonard asked in lieu of a reply before charging in.

Catching onto what his fellow Pactmaker was thinking, Caesar leapt up high enough so that when the antenna swung out to whip Leonard away again like it did earlier, the spear of the Dragon Knight struck home pinning the oversized earthworm to the ground long enough for Leonard to thrust Talion clean through the centre of the screeching mass.

And just like that, the greaver stopped. To be more precise however, it slowed down to what could be assumed its normal pace before keeling over turning the groups once flat surface into a steep incline to one side.

'**Well…At least we stopped it**' Caesar pointed out weakly from where he was splay against one of the larger hairs.

'And this is why you nincompoops are nowhere near close enough to become Windwalkers' Osmund groaned from among the pile of papitaurs bundled in one corner of the barrier Alastor had managed to conjour up to prevent the group from falling off the greaver to the real ground far below.

_**~#~#~#~**_

It was only when the group had been rescued and everyone had returned to Baccea did Osmund pop the question that had been on his furry lips ever since he and his squad had picked them up from Thaumus Rock. 'We helped you good, didn't we?'

The question received mixed feelings from the group. While they did indeed feel grateful for Osmund and his pilots for coming in when they most needed the helping hand, it still did not make up for the fact that he almost blew them up. However, the cheery, hopeful look Rocco was sporting was too much for even Alastor to remove from the pup's face.

'You did, thanks' Leonard told them respectfully causing Rocco to whoop with joy over their debt to them being erased.

'Yeah, you guys really saved our bacon back there' Caesar complimented.

'It's too bad we didn't arrive sooner so that we could have blown them up some' The chieftain sighed in disappointment. 'And you still don't have your princess back. I can understand the sadness you must be feeling. We are kindred spirits, I suppose'

Yulie immediately clamped a hand over her mouth to prevent from guffawing out loud at the image of Leonard mimicking what Osmund was like when the demonstration bomb went off prematurely. The glare from her best friend at her actions told her that he knew what she was thinking of.

For his part, Leonard knew he was not similar to Osmund in that regard. Sure, he was upset about failing to rescue Cisna once again, but things were bound to get better for them soon. Especially since they now had Talion, the Knight slaying sword, in their hands.

'We'll get her eventually' He told the chieftain confidently.

'Your confidence will get you far, so long as you look where you are going instead of barging onto other people's land like trespassing, nincompoop strangers' Osmund could not help but jibe. 'Speaking of such, not long after you arrived, someone else came by the village asking about you'

That got the group's curiosity piqued. Not many people knew the true extent of neither their quest nor where they were heading. Had Raus decided to aid them further in territory he knew next to little about? Or perhaps the Castleguard Captain who had been reluctant to let them do the duty that was rightfully his?

Following Osmund's directions to his hut, the group entered the larger tent that signified the papitaur's rank only to find it empty.

'I'm glad to see that you are all still well'

While surprised when the familiar voice suddenly sounded from inside the tent, the shock hit home when the owner walked out from behind the support post of the tent.

'Setti!' Leonard exclaimed when he recognised the youth.

It was indeed the son of Medius who they had met when they had returned to Balandor in the hopes that the man could shed some more light on the Knights. Yet, he was supposed to have been killed two nights ago when his house was deliberately set on fire by the Magi.

'After we parted ways, I decided to go hiding. I was certain that someone was following me and that night proved my suspicions' The scholar explained for the surprised group. 'Sadly, though, a townsperson who came to visit was killed instead'

'Then you traipsed all the way up here on your own?' Caesar asked clearly amazed at what the youth had accomplished. 'Man, I guess walking around caves for rocks can be good for you'

'I had to. The situation has progressed far more than I had first imagined. Enough so that we have to press on now' Setti pressed. 'Before time runs out for us'

'Runs out? For what?' Yulie asked although several of the group had an understanding of what he was implying.

'I'll explain it more clearly when we reach Sinca village' Setti told her.

'The place where it all began…' Eldore mused quietly.

The village in question was the closest in proximity to the epicentre of the Dogma rift, a massive rend in the lands that made the canyons of Frass Chasm mere ditches in comparison. While the rift seemed to divide the lands in two from coast to coast, the large hole from where the great rift began was a mere ten miles from Sinca village where King Valtos and his men resided amongst the villagers as they excavated the White Knight from the buildings that dated back to the Dogma Wars themselves. Hence the name of the rift.

'If we're gonna be going to that village, we'll have to cross the Van Haven Wastelands, won't we?' Yulie asked.

'Yep. We'll be going from one historic place to the next' Caesar joked before looking to Alastor whose face was already stormier than usual. 'Hope your memories of there is still inside, Al'

'I can easily guide you all to Sinca myself, having lived there with my father before we were forced to leave' Setti put in sounding slightly impatient as if not wanting to tally about any longer than necessary.

'We can decide on who guides tomorrow. With dusk upon us, our best course of action right now is to rest up' Eldore interrupted firmly. 'The last several bouts we've been through today are enough for this old bag of bones without mentioning the fatigues of the rest of you lot'

Setti frowned clearly wanting to make some headway in their journey but then sighed in defeat as he realised Eldore was correct. One look at the burns Alastor sported and the tired looks some of the others had and it was clear that there would be no more travelling today.

'Very well. We shall leave at first light' He conceded.

_**~#~#~#~**_

_Sorry for the short update. Bit of a writer's block, I'm afraid._

_Review if possible & until next time_

_Watch this space & peace out!_


	16. The New Guy

_Disclaimer on chapter 1 & if anyone can come up with a better chapter name, I'd greatly appreciate it. _

_**~#~#~#~**_

With the farewells of Rocco still ringing in their ears as they left Baccea, the group plus Setti set out towards Sinca village on the far side of the Van Haven Wastelands at first light.

While the vast strip of land separating the realms of Balandor and Faria may have been all meadows, plains of green grass and a myriad of multi-coloured flowers at some point in the past, the years of war between the realms have now turned the plains into rust covered grounds said to look like fields of blood during a certain time of the day. That was to say nothing of the way several plains seemed to be higher or lower than others, the tunnels riddling the black rock underneath a traveller's feet or the valleys that sometimes ended in box canyons.

In short, the Van Haven Wastelands were a veritable maze both above and below ground level where anyone with no previous knowledge of the terrain would find themselves lost for days on end before reaching civilisation. And Leonard and the others had to traverse right through the middle of it to reach the village on the far side.

'So these are the fields of blood you created back in your youth, huh, Alastor?' Caesar asked of the frowning Spellcaster.

Alastor just grunted in reply, too preoccupied with trying to block out the memories of battle playing within his head upon returning to a place he had wandered and fought for many of his years before and after joining the Legion. He could still remember it clearly as if it were yesterday: the screams of dying ringing in his ears; the taste of blood filling up his mouth; the scent of burnt flesh tormenting his nostrils; the feeling of-

Whatever else he was thinking was quickly forgotten as he whipped round to stare at Yulie who was now shaking her sore hand after slugging him one upside the head. Yet, she still managed to grin at him as if warning him that she would gladly hit him again if he attempted to walk down the dark and dreary memory lane again to which he replied with a small smile of his own in thanks causing the archer's grin to broaden.

'If we are to reach Sinca village before the moon rises, then we had best hurry' Setti told them as they entered the first of many open areas of the wasteland.

'You sure we can make it there _today_?' Caesar enquired as he took in the terrain ahead of them. It was like Greede's Underbelly with an open-air section in his eyes having never passed further than the Flanders until now.

'It is possible' Setti replied. 'If we take the tunnel north of here, we will be able to traverse a decent portion of the Wastelands from below the surface and only have to come up perhaps several times before reaching the western borders'

'You sound like you've been here before' Eldore noted as they began to proceed north by northwest towards the tunnel entrance.

'Only once before my father forbid me from doing so again' Setti admitted. 'I had heard that the gradual erosion the ground water slowly affecting the tunnels brings out minerals yet to have been discovered and I was curious as to whether or not I could find one for myself'

'Bet your old man would've been quite chuffed had you came back fully loaded' Caesar chuckled. 'Who knows, you might could've had the honour of naming one after yourself'

'I did not have high hopes in finding new minerals, only to find some of rare value' Setti explained humbly looking a tad uncomfortable at the prospect of his stature rising to that of a noble's. 'Unfortunately, my journey gained me naught but a rather stern lecture from my father when I returned from my disappearance'

Leonard winced in understanding knowing all too well from his own experiences what it was like to literally have the snot beaten out of him for coming home after several days without notice. It was during those times that he was truly glad that Yulie knew how to use healing spells otherwise he would have been forced to go to work the next day looking as black and blue as the wine Rapacci sold.

'At least you learned your lesson the first time. Unlike someone else I know' Yulie ribbed as she nudged Leonard so that the youth knew who she was talking about in case he did not take the hint.

'You're one to talk, Yulie' He grumbled as he looked down to prevent the others from seeing him embarrassed. 'You could have easily _not_ followed me'

'True' Yulie admitted. 'But if I wasn't there alongside you, you might have came back a lot worse _before_ Rapacci got his hands on you'

There was also the fact that she was still crushing on him at the time, but there was no way she was going to tell him _that_ of all things.

'Point taken' Leonard winced both at what she said and that she was right about it.

'At least we won't get bored if no monsters show up' Caesar suddenly put casually in causing the two youths to glare at him fiercely at what he was implying.

'If it's monsters you wish to fight, there will be plenty down in the tunnels' Setti supplied for him. 'Although, I am not sure whether there will be enough head room in order for you to summon your Knights should the need arise'

'And that is where our secret weapon comes into play, Right, Al?' Caesar called out to the Spellcaster only to finally realise along with the rest of the group that Alastor was not with them.

Instead of following after them, Alastor had actually proceeded in a more westerly direction until he had reached the edge of the clearing and was now staring at the plain below either deep in thought or just searching for something only he knew about. It was only when the others had noticed his presence missing from their number and were now doubling back towards him did he jump down off the cliff apparently finished with his mental discussion and now acting on its results.

'Where do you think you're going!?' Yulie yelled after him after skidding to a stop at the edge of the cliff. 'You heard Setti. We're supposed to be going north then west underground!'

'There's a tunnel entrance on this plain that's connected to the main line. It'll take us to Sinca by sundown' Alastor replied as the rest of the group caught up to Yulie.

'And how do you know that?' The archer replied to which the Spellcaster remained silent for several moments before opening his mouth to reply.

'I don't' He shrugged before heading away to wherever the tunnel entrance was leaving the rest of the group stunned and flabbergasted at his words.

'He knows about a shorter route to the village but…He doesn't know at the same time?' Leonard questioned in clear confusion.

'The real question should be whether he's right and we'll reach the village quicker or not' Eldore pointed out seeing as the Spellcaster in question was currently walking away from them while they dithered atop a cliff as they bickered over which way they should go.

'My money's on Al' Caesar quickly announced before jumping down quickly followed by Yulie then Leonard evidently trusting the Spellcaster's judgement more than Setti's. He had never let them down yet, after all.

'It seems the decision is unanimous' The Swordmage stated before he too followed after the Spellcaster leaving Setti to fidget slightly as he hoisted his bow more securely over his shoulder before jumping down after the group.

'You still with us back there?' Leonard called out to Setti.

'Sorry if I'm slowing you down!' Setti replied panting slightly due to the weight of his pack no doubt. 'I'll try to keep up!'

'You better. There's more than just the Princess' life on the line now' Caesar remarked as he looked back on the conversation they had had last night before hitting the sack.

_**~#**__Last night__**#~**_

'_Guess this answers the question of whether the papitaur tribes out here have human sized beds' Caesar remarked looking at circle of rectangular carpets each complete with blanket and small pillow that were placed around a small fire pit that crackled lazily._

'_You can always camp outside in the tents if you want' Alastor remarked sourly from where he was sitting crossed legged on one of the carpets as he tended to the burns on his arms and front while Yulie focused on the burns and blisters on his back._

_Even in the light of the fire, and without the aid of his Dragonsight, Caesar could clearly see the redness of Yulie's cheeks as she worked and there was no way it was due to the heat coming from the flames. Before he could comment however, Leonard called out to him, his tone sounding serious._

'_You knew about Kara, didn't you' It was not a question that spilled quietly from his lips._

_In response to the accusation, Caesar just looked away from his fellow Pactmaker which only served in fuelling Leonard's fury._

'_Why didn't you say something about it?' He snarled pulling up Caesar by the front of his tunic. 'If your Dragonsight had showed you who she really was, you should have told us so that we could question! If it wasn't for her, Cisna would still be in Balandor and the king would still be alive'_

'_That wasn't her!' Caesar finally spoke up as he pulled free from Leonard's grasp. 'I promise you that it wasn't her who killed the king of Balandor'_

_This quickly caught everyone's attention forcing Caesar to elaborate on his beliefs._

'_All you saw was someone wearing black armour- the General's armour. But it wasn't Kara who was wearing it' He explained._

'_He's right' Alastor remarked as he looked up from his spell casting. 'So long as no one can see his face, General Dragias could be any number of people with a grudge on the King'_

_In short, General Dragias was, to the Grazel's forces, the role model that inspired and raised the troops morale. If they wanted a mastermind, General Dragias was played by a strategist and tactician; if they wanted a warrior, they chose Kara, the Pactmaker of Ebonwings whose experience in battle could only be equalled by four others- whatever it took to ensure that "General Dragias" was the perfect leader for troops to rally behind. However, in order to make the ruse seem realistic, certain measures were likely to have been made and done._

'_So you're saying that Kara was duped by magic into believing that she was truly the General and that she had been him all her life?' Eldore queried. He knew a fair bit about the limits of magic and could see something like that happening under the right Spellcaster._

'_If I had to guess, it was probably not long before you guys first met her back in Albana' Caesar speculated having been brought up to speed on the journey before he joined during their return trip to Balandor._

'_But why would they do something like that?' Leonard asked. 'Why go through all the trouble?'_

'_So that they could kill you' Alastor supplied for the youth like it was the most obvious thing._

'_Kill Leonard?' Yulie replied sounding like she was still trying to get her head around things._

'_A Pactmaker gains the experience and knowledge their Knight has accumulated over the years they have been activated both now and in the past' Setti explained speaking up for the first time and reminding them all of his presence. 'With that in mind, only another Pactmaker could stand a chance of going up against him'_

_With the powers and reflexes of a Knight, skills which were becoming more improved to Leonard than before he had obtained the White Knight, it had boiled down to the old saying of fighting fire with fire. While it was still unknown whether Kara had been in the Magi's services her whole life or just recently, quite possibly during the time when they first got their hands on the Ark of Ebonwings, the Magi had decided to use a double bluff to ensure that, had Kara's first attempt on Leonard had failed, there would still be another chance later on for them to exploit._

'_They were still taking quite the gamble' Caesar said causing several of the others to look at him in pure confusion. 'Remember, back in the troll caverns, where me, Leonard and Kara resonated? It might have unlocked Kara's true memories and may have even Kara to really join us'_

'_With her knowledge of the Magi's forces and tactics…' Eldore muttered._

'_The Magi would have been in hot water' Alastor finished._

'_Exactly. Which is why, to prevent that from happening, they used magic to implant false memories in her mind, something that would keep her and Leonard at odds with each other and distract them from what their Knights might possibly be trying to tell them' Caesar finished._

'_A daring plan' Eldore admired. 'It could have fallen apart for them a number of times'_

'_This is just ridiculous' Leonard muttered as he shook his head._

'_Kara isn't a killer, Leonard' Caesar pressed. 'There have been a number of times where she could have killed either of us but she didn't. Even under orders, she could never bring herself to kill you or me…She liked us and treasured the time spent with us all even if she pretended otherwise'_

_Leonard sighed in defeat knowing that Caesar was right. Even if Kara was a younger, female version of Alastor, he could tell that she cared deeply for them. In his heart of hearts, he was truly relieved that Kara was not the one who murdered King Valtos in cold blood. But the finger still had to be pointed at someone, and Leonard knew just the person._

'_Grazel' He cursed quietly._

'_Yeah, the head honcho himself' Caesar agreed. 'So long as he achieves his goals, he'll use every means at his disposal- even if lives are lost in the process'_

'_Then shouldn't we try to save Kara before Grazel forces her to choose between us and the Magi?' Yulie asked sounding worried for the girl she had come to love like a sister._

'_We will' Leonard stated boldly. 'We'll rescue Cisna _and _Kara, and stop Grazel's plans once and for all while we're at it'_

'_Here, here!' Caesar readily agreed._

'_If there is no objections' Setti suddenly cut in. 'I suggest that we get some rest now and plot how to rescue your friends once we have reached Sinca village. We will need all the strength we can muster for the journey ahead'_

_**~#**__Present__**#~**_

'Hey, Caesar!' Yulie called out to the Pactmaker of the Dragon Knight. 'I've got a question for you'

Brought from his musings, Caesar looked inquisitively at the girl as if trying to mimic one of those avid scholars that tried to refrain from answering the question before it could slip passed the asker's lips.

'If Kara wasn't the one who killed the king, then who did'?

'The Dragias before Kara' The young Lord quickly replied as if it was the obvious thing in the world.

'Yeah, but who was that?' Yulie countered as if expecting Caesar to say that. 'Surely your Dragonsight could have seen who it was, right?'

'Fraid it doesn't work like that, girl' Caesar told her with a shake of the head. 'There are some folk who can block the all-seeing eyes of the dragons'

He cast a not so subtle look at Eldore when he said that. Eldore merely grunted when he realised Caesar was meaning himself although it could have been partly due to the steep slope they were currently descending as they wandered the underbelly of the Van Haven Wastelands.

The tunnels of the Van Haven underground were similar to that of the Nordia tunnels. The only difference being that most of these tunnels, in comparison to the ones north of Greydall Plain, were made through natural means slowly corroded through countless years of the harsh effects of the elements. Because of this, just like the canyons of the Flanders, copious amounts of glittering mineral crystals could be seen poking through the walls of the tunnels.

Thus, due to his inner nature as a geologist, Setti found himself almost left several times only just realising when one of them called out to him. It would do for the one person who could help them further in their quest to rescue Cisna to be stranded in a place where there was numerous spidersprogs and basilisks roaming freely underground while elemental dragons and Cerberus commandeered the lands above them.

'You sure you know where we're going?' Leonard asked Alastor as the two walked slightly ahead of the others.

'I'll be honest in saying that I'm just letting my feet take me wherever they're leading me' Alastor shrugged confused as the rest of them on how he knew the way but had no recollection as to why he knew.

Leonard just cast Alastor another confused look before shrugging himself. He might not have known the Spellcaster long, but he did know about his time during the war with Faria. Perhaps it was just one of those subconscious memory things or something along those lines.

'Just so you know: Should you get us further from the village than closer, I'm not protecting you from Yulie when she gets pissed at you' He warned the Spellcaster.

Alastor just shrugged once again, apparently used to being attacked by the girl for no apparent reason other than to just vent off her anger. Stepping through a large doorway shaped hole, the group suddenly found themselves in an open aired cavern with a small stream trickling through the middle of it.

'A nice place to rest, wouldn't you agree?' Setti asked before dropping the rucksack from his person before anyone could object to the decision.

Seeing as the decision was final, perhaps to get back at them for going with Alastor instead of himself, the group decided to rest up as well before moving on. Already, Leonard and Caesar were sitting down following Setti's lead while Eldore just leaned against the side of the cave as he inspected his longsword. With nothing better to do, Yulie decided to follow Alastor to the stream where the Spellcaster was currently filling up the water canteens.

'So what's it like, being back here after so long?' She asked him as she squatted down to his level.

'Not sure really' Alastor replied after he had finished filling one of the canteens. 'Is there any point to this or are you just trying to pass the time by annoying me?'

Yulie just smiled cheekily at him in response. 'What can I say, you're more fun to annoy than Leonard. And I've only stopped teasing him because I'm just using the same things over and over again'

'And heaven forbid if you actually have to be quiet!' Alastor remarked sarcastically. 'That would mean I would have to listen to the peace and quietness that nature supplies for us all'

It took a few seconds for Yulie to realise that the Spellcaster was teasing her. By the time she had figured it out, he had already finished filling up the canteens and was now walking back to where the rest of them were situated. Standing up and making to follow after him, the archer suddenly stopped and whirled about. She was certain she had heard something call at her, yet all she could see was the small waterfall at the far end of the cave.

'That was strange' She muttered before shrugging it off as her imagination playing tricks on her and quickly re-joining the group as they continued on their way.

_**~#~**_

The rest of the journey was uneventful, only a handful of basilisks and an ice giant to block the path forward for a scant few minutes before being reduced to food for the worms. As they stepped back out into the fading sunlight after the surprisingly quick trip through the tunnels, the Magi had apparently left them a little welcoming gift in the form of several pyredaemos. Whether the Magi knew they were coming or not, it was evident that they were indeed on the right path.

'Two Knights, two archers and two spell chuckers against two fire breathers. I'll have Al and Setti on my team' Caesar quickly called out as the two fire spewing monsters charged towards them.

'What? But I'm not a real warrior!' Setti quickly protested as he started backing away from the incoming monsters. He usually used his bow for smaller creatures while just running from anything that could flatten him just by putting their foot down.

'Tell that to those two charging towards us!' Leonard commented before transforming and charging back at the two fire beasts easily barrelling through them and knocking them off their feet.

Setti could only stare in amazement as he watched the two Knights and their friends take on the manmade beasts with flawless efficiency. While he had seen them tackle an ice giant underground, and even helped out when the giant was about to attack Eldore after the Swordmage struck it in the face with a fireball, it seemed so surreal that they could take on some of the Magi's most powerful pets with no fear or quarter. Perhaps they really could help him before his time ran out.

'Nothing like a good fight before the evening meal!' Caesar cheered after the battle was over stretching as if he had just completed some minor exercises.

Alastor just shook his head at the young Lord's antics before stepping passed him and the corpses of the pyredaemos in order to reach the village of Sinca.

The only problem being that the village did not look like it had been populated for many years. It was pretty much more of a ghost town that had been attacked forcing whoever had survived to flee to other villages and towns. Perhaps that was why Medius had left Caesar with Drisdall in Greede before taking up residence with Setti in Balandor.

'So this…is Sinca village?' Leonard asked wondering if Alastor had not taken them to the wrong place.

'Yes. Or at least what's left of it, in any case' Setti confirmed. 'This is the place where it all began'

'Gotta say, not much to look at' Caesar remarked as he took in the dilapidated buildings and dead trees and plants. 'Although the dark and dreary theme does seem to go well with the place'

'Always with the flippant comment' Yulie muttered as she stared at the remains of the village a strange feeling welling up inside of her as if coming home after being away for so long.

'You okay?' Alastor quietly asked of her noticing the unsure yet faraway look in her eyes.

'Hmm? Oh, yeah, I guess. It's just…' Yulie stared around as she tried to find the words to explain what she was experiencing. 'This place…it feels familiar…like I've been here before'

Alastor nodded in understanding. He too was feeling as if he had been in this village once long ago. Perhaps it had just been a fleeting visit or something, nothing but a mere rest stop as he travelled around before he had found himself signed up in the armies of Balandor.

'Why don't we make camp here? I'll explain everything that I can for you' Setti offered evidently happy that they had finally reached the village.

'I hope so' Caesar muttered evidently getting tired of being stonewalled every time he had gotten close to discovering his past.

As the group began making preparations for the camp, Setti asked Alastor if he would mind helping him search the perimeter for any signs of monsters or Magi forces. While reluctant and unsure what this was about, the Spellcaster complied with the scholar's request and followed him out of the village until they were near the gaping chasm that had almost swallowed the village when the Great Rift occurred.

'I know this might sound strange, but I have to ask you this: Do you remember me?' Setti asked sounding too serious to make it seem like some stupid joke.

Regardless of the seriousness, Alastor still looked at Setti as if he had an extra head suddenly growing out of the one already attached to his neck.

'I've only known you since we met on Greydall Plain several days ago' The Spellcaster finally answered not sure where this was going and even more confused about why he was being asked now of all times.

'I knew it. You must have cast the spell on yourself as well in case they tried to get it out of you, not that I'm saying you wouldn't go down easily, that is' Setti muttered now pacing about in front of Alastor as he attempted to figure out how to proceed with whatever it was rattling around inside the young man's mind. 'While a bold counter measure to protect us, assuming you finally broke, now it's working against us'

Alastor could not make head or tales over what Setti was going on about. The only thing he was getting was a headache from all this confusion coupled with Setti's infuriating pacing.

'That's it! Enough of your riddles and mutterings! What in the name of the High Deities are you blabbering about!?' The Spellcaster demanded as he stood in Setti's path causing the young man to jump.

'Very well' Setti conceded. 'This may come as a shock to you but-'

Setti suddenly cut himself off as he suddenly convulsed only being prevented from hitting the ground hard by Alastor catching him by the shoulders.

'Hey, are you alright?' The Spellcaster asked as Setti stopped convulsing as quickly as he had started and was now sagging against him.

'Tell me...Did I say anything I shouldn't have?' Setti asked looking down at his feet.

'All you've done is spout some stupid riddles so far' Alastor replied once again too confused to understand what the young man was now going on about.

'I see' Setti muttered apparently satisfied with the answer. 'Still, just to be sure…'

Before he could comprehend was being said, a great pain suddenly flared in Alastor's chest as a shortsword was driven clean through him so that the tip was poking from his back. All Alastor could do was stare wide eyed at Setti who finally looked the Spellcaster in the eyes.

'Y-You-!' He croaked as he collapsed to his knees with the blade still embedded in his stomach.

'Do not worry. They shall soon be following you' Setti called over his shoulder as he headed back to where the others had finished off setting up the campfire.

Watching his killer walk away from him, Alastor could do naught but fall over onto his side as the darkness began creeping up on him too weak and caught off guard do use any magic to even attempt to fend off the inevitable.

_**~#~#~#~**_

_How's that for a cliffy? I was thinking of adding more but thought it would be better to leave it here for now_

_Review if possible & until next month_

_Watch this space & peace out!_


	17. Falling Apart

_Disclaimer on chapter 1_

**_~#~#~#~_**

By the time Setti made it back to the campsite, the rest of the group already had a fire going and were now just sitting about waiting for him and Alastor to return- a shame that the latter would never happen.

'Hey, did you find anything?' Leonard asked noticing him approaching them.

'No. It is not certain at the moment, but your friend has gone out to check up on something' Setti replied. 'It may just turn out to be nothing more than some wild animal but better to be safe than sorry given who we're up against'

'Hold on. You let him go on his own?' Yulie frowned.

'This is Alastor we're talking about here, girl. He'll be back looking grumpy over going on a wild goose chase- providing we don't hear any explosions' Caesar predicted as if one of the two were a dead certainty before looking pointedly at Setti as the elder youth sat down across from them. 'So, you ready to start explaining now that we're here?'

'Yes, although I apologise over having to bring you all this way before supplying you with the answers to the questions that have been plaguing your minds' Setti said.

There was definitely some truth to what he just said. For one of them, they were highly curious over how they had managed to become the Pactmakers to weapons that had been hidden from the light of day for more than ten millennia. Another was anxious to learn about his missing past despite the fact that he cherished the time he did have with his adoptive father even if their ways of expressing their love were not the best of ways.

'You all know about the great quake that struck the land seventeen years ago that has practically separated Faria from the rest of the realms, I take it?' The scholar asked despite it being a moot question.

While most of them had only just heard about the massive rend in the ground known as the Dogma rift not long ago, their journey up to this point had allowed them to learn about the ruins that had shown up inside the quake's epicenter that were from the Dogma age, hence the name given to the ravaged earth.

'As I'm sure you well know by now, many artifacts from ancient times were uncovered, including the White Knight and it's Ark' Setti nodded his head in Leonard's direction. 'But that was nothing compared to what else that was found down there'

Leonard, Yulie and Caesar leaned in closer as their curiosity for what came next showed on their faces. For the mere passer-by looking their way, it looked nothing more than an interesting campfire story yet to pass the listener's ears. Indeed, what could be more incredible than finding a massive suit of armor that even a troll could not fit in?

'Come on, spill already!' Caesar urged the tension becoming too much for him.

'_Living children_' At Setti's words, all three of the youths pulled away in shock at what they were hearing. 'Even to this day, it is hard for me to comprehend. As far as I can tell, powerful magic was involved encasing them in some sort of hibernation cocoon or a very complex time spell…Whatever the case, their bodies were in perfect health when they were discovered inside the palace that had also been in some sort of time lock spell, looking as if it had just been built'

To the three youths, this story was sounding well out of their league. To find that several younglings from ten millennia ago were alive and well somewhere in the realms, assuming they survived whatever happened to the village, was something out of a fairy tale.

'How many children were there?' Yulie asked almost too quietly for anyone to hear.

'Four infants and a youth. As you've probably already guessed, they were raised here in Sinca village' Setti replied waving a hand at the dilapidated buildings.

'A youth? You mean they all weren't the same age?' Leonard asked in surprise.

'No, a five year old boy was with them possibly to look after them until they were found' Setti elaborated. 'The villagers believed they were a blessing, a gift from the Gods, and decided to look after them'

Caesar hummed thoughtfully, his own mind suddenly predicting the path in which this story was taking and what the outcome was going to be.

'Sadly, however, those children possessed a terrifying secret' Setti continued before the young Lord interrupted him.

'They were Pactmakers of the Knights, right?' He asked as if it were the most obvious of things.

'They are, the very cores of the Knights used in the Dogma War' Setti confirmed. 'When the headman of the village learned of this, he took them away from the village, personally foster parents for each one in separate towns and cities knowing that, if they were kept together for too long, their memories of the past might awaken and bring about the Final Awakening'

It was safe to now assume that the village headman was Setti's father Medius, the man who had left Caesar in Count Drisdall's care many years ago. As surprising as that was, the fact that he had referred to the younglings in the present tense meant that they were still alive. And, even more shocking, was the fact that…

'They were us- I mean, _are us_!' Caesar exclaimed his prediction right on the mark yet still sending him reeling at the realisation that he was now home- or what was left of it.

Leonard, Caesar and Kara, three of the five younglings that had been abandoned inside a palace for a thousand years for reason no one probably knew today. It actually made sense to Leonard now, as he had no collection of anything a few weeks before first meeting Cisna twelve years ago or who his parents were.

'Man, talk about a coincidence' Caesar marvelled as he tried to wrap his head around everything. 'For the three of us to reunite all these years later…'

'It is no coincidence' Setti interrupted. 'All of you have been brought together _deliberately_. Someone wanted it that way'

Leonard found that hard to believe. All of his actions, from sneaking into the castle to finding the White Knight and becoming its Pactmaker, they were all just mere flukes and coincidences all because he was curious as to what it was like inside the castle and perhaps catch a glimpse of the Princess. There was no way that all of his actions were predicted sometime a while back or anything.

'Not that I don't trust you or anything, Setti, but how could somebody have foreseen Leonard sticking his nose where it shouldn't even after being warned by their best friend?' Yulie brought up ignoring the glare she got from Leonard.

'Girl's got a point. We all pretty much might not even be here if it weren't for him- No offense Leonard' Caesar added when the youth rounded on him clearly angry that he was being accused of being the one who got them into all this even if it was true.

'Do you really believe that? That pure dumb luck was the true reason for everything to happen the way it did?' Setti asked clearly knowing something that the others did not. 'What if someone had set it up to happen the way it did, so that he would be able to not only gain one Knight, but discover the locations of the others and their Pactmakers?'

It would be a long shot but it could be possible, the others thought in their heads. If someone had enough knowledge of the Knights, and a good understanding of the terrain and most recent locations of both Knights and their Pactmakers, by merely making sure that one of them 'accidently' discovered a Knight while fleeing from a sudden unknown enemy then being forced into entering a pact with the armor against said enemy, all that person had to do was find a way to lead them to the locations of the remaining Knights. In this case, it was using Princess Cisna to bait Leonard into 'saving' her and doing all the work for them.

A sudden chill was quick to rush down the youths' spines as their heads turned in unison to the one person who could easily fit the bill of what Setti was claiming. Even under their stares, the culprit merely looked back as if they were focusing on someone behind him instead of himself.

'So, you're the one behind all this? Well, Eldore?' Caesar demanded as he stood up with his fists clenched. 'The King of Balandor, Kara's little sister, were you behind those also?'

Pulling his eyes away from them was all the proof Caesar needed to confirm his suspicions of the Swordmage.

'You're one of the Ancients, aren't you?' Setti interrogated. 'You knew this day would come and somehow managed to travel to this era where the Knights would be discovered, didn't you?'

A silence hung over the camp, both parties remaining quiet as if deliberating who should and would make the next move. As the seconds ticked on, Eldore finally gave way and spoke up, his next words deciding which way the dice would roll.

'It is as you said, I have come from the Dogma era ten millennia ago' He confessed without breaking eye contact with Setti who was subtly smiling in victory as his suspicions were confirmed.

'Well that explains a few things' Caesar growled. He had been wondering how he could not _see_ Eldore with his Dragonsight ever since laying eyes on him after obtaining the Dragon Knight.

'Even so, I am not the person who killed King Valtos nor came up with the plot to use Kara's sister, assuming she was such' Eldore pressed.

'No more of lies, old man' Caesar cut over him. 'You've been evasive about yourself whenever one of us brought it up'

Apparently heeding the young Lord's words, Eldore held his tongue as Leonard walked up to him with a face masked in cold fury.

It was easy to see why the youth was angry. Leonard had trusted Eldore, believed that he could help him in saving Cisna. Instead, he had been tricked into joining the silver tongued bastard into helping track down the other Knights for Grazel and the Magi to claim them only to be claimed by their true Pactmakers who were _coincidentally_ in Eldore's group. The realisation so infuriating caused Leonard to see red and draw his blade.

Realising what was to become of him now that his plan had been unravelled, Eldore was quick to teleport out of Sinca village in order to stay alive long enough to achieve his goals.

'Dammit!' Leonard cursed swinging his sword violently as if imagining the backstabbing old man right in front of him. 'Why would he do something like this?!'

Caesar would not mind knowing so himself. While gaining his Knight was a welcoming surprise, had Eldore and the others not showed up, he might have had the chance to have one last talk with his foster father before he passed on. Now, only the Gods knew what kind of conversation they could have had.

While not as vocal or physical as Leonard and Caesar during the last few minutes after realising they had been played like pawns on a chess board, Yulie was also upset about Eldore's betrayal. She had thought that he was merely wishing to help her best friend in accomplishing the mission given to him by the King's aide yet instead found that he was merely using them to further his own goals. Did that mean that, had they not travelled the realms, the Magi would not have troubled Albana, or kill two of what were probably the eldest dragons in this day and age?

'When all the Knights come together, it is said the Final Awakening will begin and with it, the power to rule the entire world' Setti provided staring into the campfire. 'He must know that as well as anyone'

'Anyone from the era of the Dogma Wars, you mean' Caesar pointed out as he sat back down.

'So Eldore came here so that he could use them to conquer the world' Leonard mused out loud. 'He has Grazel kidnap Cisna then joins up with us and drag us around the long way while Grazel goes on ahead and gets Cisna in place so that she'll unlock the Knights for us'

'And when they're all up and about after ten thousand years of sleep, they'll bring them all together and accomplish their goal' Caesar finished for him thinking along the same lines.

'That might not be the case' Setti interrupted before the youths got ahead of themselves. 'For all intents and purposes, they could each have their own agenda they are trying to accomplish and are just getting in the others way'

Caesar sighed in frustration. It was bad enough realising that he, Leonard and Kara were from the Dogma Wars without the added complication of these possible two factors vying to claim them for their own selfish needs.

'So, what's the plan now?' He asked after a bit.

'We go to the Dogma Rift' Setti replied.

'What, as in now?' Yulie asked quickly glancing behind her to see if a certain Spellcaster had returned yet.

'We have to. There is still a Knight that remains there. One that was locked deep inside the ruins so that no amount of digging or blasting could reach it' Setti said as he stood up.

'Unless someone was to use a certain princess, no doubt' Caesar put in referring to the fair Princess of Balandor who was currently in the Magi's clutches.

Setti nodded confirming the young Lord's words.

'Do you know which of the Knights it is?' Leonard asked curiously.

'The Sun King, _Adolmea_, ruler of daylight. It is said that it is the most powerful of the five' Setti told them. 'No matter what else happens, we must not let Grazel claim it for their own'

'Yeah but, even if he did find it, there's no way he could use it without the Pactmaker around to wield it, right?' Caesar pointed out. 'I mean, it's practically just a very big paper weight or bird statue otherwise'

The young Lord held a true point. So long as the original Pactmaker was not around when their Knight was discovered, nothing could be done with it other than leaving it somewhere else to gather dust until discovered and stolen once more.

Sadly however, Setti quickly shot down the young Lord's assumption.

'He will be able to use the power of that Knight' He said forcing them to realise just what that implicated.

'You mean he's…?' Yulie asked catching on quicker than the others.

'The chosen Pactmaker of the Sun King' Setti confirmed. 'He was the five year old boy who was discovered in the ruins with you'

'Grazel? A Pactmaker?' Leonard spoke in a mixture of shock and surprise.

'He gets his hands on that power, we'll be in big trouble' Caesar speculated realising the seriousness of the situation at hand.

'Then lets us make haste' Setti suggested as he hefted up his back pack and picked up his bow. 'We must now go to the heart of the Dogma Rift where the greatest ruins lie'

'Get there, find the Knight, save Kara and Cisna and beat Eldore and Grazel. Sounds like a plan to me!' Caesar grinned turning top his fellow Pactmaker who nodded in agreement.

'Hold on a second' Yulie suddenly cut in as she realised that they were about to head off again. 'What about Alastor? He hasn't returned yet'

She held a valid point. The sour faced Spellcaster had yet to return to the campsite and she was starting to worry if something had happened to him.

'Eh, I'm sure Al can catch up with us in no time' Caesar shrugged sounding confident in his words. They had all seen him in action by now so knew that he could handle himself.

Even so, Yulie could not help but keep looking over her shoulder as if expecting the Spellcaster to suddenly turn up muttering about wasting time on a wild goose chase.

'He'll catch up to us, Yulie. He'll realise that we've moved on ahead of him and catch up to us when we make camp for the night' Leonard assured her.

'And probably beat us to within an inch of our lives for leaving him to assume the worse' Caesar added easily picturing the rant the Spellcaster would give them when he finally caught up.

Despite herself, Yulie grinned also at the prediction and followed on after them as they left the village along the edge of the huge canyon knowing that it would lead them straight to its epicentre leaving the smouldering remains of the campfire to mark their presence in a village once called home to several.

**_~#~#~#~_**

Throughout their journey, Leonard and the others had seen quite a few canyons ranging from small ones that one man atop another's shoulders could stick his head above the ridge to the large ones that could hide an entire city the size of Greede. Yet even the canyons of Frass Chasm paled in comparison to that of the canyon dubbed the Dogma Rift. In deepness alone, behemoth classed creatures like the Demithor and Greaver would never be seen even staring down from a point half way up or down the canyon walls.

But even though the drop appeared to be near bottomless, the sight of a palace or temple just poking out from behind a bend in the canyon held just as much amazement. Even from where they stood, the group could see that it still look recently built despite it being over ten millennia old or set a few miles below the top of the Rift.

'Looks like we're getting close to the end. And I was just starting to get used to you guys tagging along after me' Caesar commented earning a roll of the eyes from Yulie and Leonard.

'How are we going to get there?' Leonard asked unable to see a visible path along the face of the canyon.

'We'll have to circle around the outer rim and then enter through the tunnels' Setti explained for them.

'Least we know what to do come morning' Caesar shrugged ready to call it a day.

'No' Setti suddenly put in. 'It would be better to find the way in now. Once we have found the entrance, _then_ we can rest'

'You're joking, right? I want to stop Grazel and save Cisna as much as the rest of us but even _I _know that going any further now could be risky' Leonard argued jerking his head up at the darkening sky.

'He's right' Yulie agreed, at least with the last part her friend said. 'We've barely got about an hour of daylight left and who knows what we might run into on the way there. And Alastor's still not caught up with us'

'We're better off searching for the entrance now. That way, we won't have to waste time searching for it the next morning' Setti told her as he continued down the path that would lead them closer to the ruins.

Despite protesting and aching limbs, the three youths followed after him praying that they found the entrance in good time as trying to find their way during the dark hours would be near suicide due to their current location.

Their luck seemed to be finally taking a turn for the better as they progressed as there was only a few monsters in their way to get rid of and the only major battle they had was with a couple of pygmy greavers which, after a few troubling minutes, joined the list of defeated creatures Leonard and the others had racked up since starting their adventure.

It was as the last rays of sunshine disappeared and the star began dotting the dark sky that they finally found what appeared to be the entrance to the ruins. Even with seventeen years of neglect, it still looked as if it had been created only recently compared to the crumbling remains of other ruins they had seen on their journey.

'We'll camp here' Setti declared pointing to a hollow in the canyon wall that would easily hide their tents from view. 'Even if our trip here was uneventful, there are bound to be too many monsters further inside to attempt going any further'

'Well that's a relief' Caesar sighed too tired himself to make a joke or something that could ease the tension around them.

Yulie mentally agreed with him as she all but collapsed onto her backside as the toll of the day's trek washed over her. Not even when she worked in Parma did her bones feel as if they could crumble at any given moment. All she wanted to do now was get as much sleep as possible before Setti forced them onwards to the shrine where the Sun King was secured and hope that Alastor caught up to them in time knowing in her heart of hearts that his skill in the magical arts would be needed if they were to win and finally end their quest.

'Perhaps I should take the first watch and let you all get some rest' Setti suggest to them seeing as he was the only one who still seemed to have some energy left in him.

'You sure?' Leonard asked after finally managing to summon the tents from the Storestone Eldore had dropped in his haste to escape from them.

'Out of all of us, I'm the weakest. Allow me to keep watch until any of you feel rested enough to take over' Setti told them. 'For all we know, this could be the last chance to rest before confronting Grazel'

Unable to argue with such sound logic, the boys were quick to bid their goodnights before heading into the tent for some well-deserved rest. After a slight moment of trouble trying to pick herself up, Yulie also made her way to her tent only to pause at the entrance so as to speak with Setti one last time.

'If Alastor shows up, you will explain to him why we had to leave in a hurry, right?' She asked.

'I do hope your infatuation with the Spellcaster is not clouding your judgement' Setti chuckled as he sat down at the campfire he created using a pyrestone.

'What's that supposed to mean?' Yulie growled trying her best to stem the blood rising to her cheeks at the implication.

'How do we not know that he also wants the Knights for his own agenda?' Setti queried unaware how lucky he was that his back was to the archer and was unable to see the face that could cause even a troll to make a hasty retreat.

'I couldn't care less if Alastor has the power at his finger tips to turn all of Balandor into a pile of smouldering rubble, there's no way he would do something like that' Yulie threw back. 'Besides, Caesar's Dragonsight would have warned us about it, seeing as he isn't able to hide himself like Eldore'

'But he is one of the strongest Spellcasters of our time' Setti pointed out.

'Then you better hope that you're on his good side!' Yulie snapped before entering the tent before Setti could get another word out.

So what if she was infatuated with Alastor as Setti called it? She knew that there was no way that the Spellcaster was working for Grazel or Eldore or his own side. Both her mind and heart were telling her that Alastor would never betray them even if she did not know why and she would keep on believing such until it was proven otherwise.

**_~#~#~#~_**

It was unknown how many hours had passed since the youths had turned in for the night. Considering that the stars were still out, it was maybe two or three hours before dawn would show. Either way, Setti grinned darkly as the sounds of approaching footsteps came his way.

'They should be truly asleep by now' He told the soldiers as they gathered round him the torchlight making his face more evil to them. 'Kill them all and obtain their Arks before burning it all to the ground'

'So that's why you were so picky about where we camped'

Whirling around at the sound of the voice, Setti was shocked to see Leonard and Caesar emerge from their tent looking more refreshed than they should have for just a measly four or so hours rest.

'Hey, at least he brought enough troops to even the odds' Caesar objected as he took note of the amount of Magi grunts who had now drawn arms in preparation for the fight ahead of them. 'Hmm…two dozen, give or take'

'It would have been easier to kill you in your sleep, you know. Saves me the trouble of listening to your dying pleas' Setti admitted evidently wanting to make it quick and not prolong the inevitable.

'Even if we were asleep, their footfalls could've woken us up a mile away' Yulie remarked suddenly appearing from her own tent with her bow drawn and aimed at Setti's head.

'Oh. I see everyone's arrived' Setti muttered the setback nothing more than a minor hindrance. He might not have caught them as off guard as he had hoped, but the element of surprise was still in his favor.

'No. Not yet' Leonard disagreed.

Whatever Setti was expecting, it was not for a bright light to suddenly flash into existence before fading just as quickly as it appeared revealing two new faces to the fold, new yet very familiar to him.

**_~#~#~#~_**

_& that is my last update for 2012. Now I shall be dedicating my time to my job & a project I'm working on._

_So, until Xmas, please review if possible & as always_

_Watch this space & peace out!_


	18. The Far Wanderer

_Disclaimer on chapter 1_

_**~#~#~#~**_

'Well, well, well. Aren't you starting to feel stupid' Caesar remarked in a casual way as he stepped between the two Spellcasters and slung his arms over their shoulders. 'You see, we put on a little show for you and quite the good one, I might add'

'Indeed, enjoyed my little break' Eldore chuckled definitely looking a touch healthier than when they last met. Perhaps it was due to no longer having to play the "bad guy" seeing as the jig was up so to speak.

'Speak for yourself' Alastor grumbled in frustration obviously not happy with the way he was "removed" from the picture by Setti.

Setti was shocked, to say the least, even if he did not show it. While it was slightly surprising to be seeing Eldore again, it was the appearance of Alastor that truly rattled him. Having personally run him through with a short sword and damaging at least one of the vital organs, there should be no way that the Spellcaster could have survived that. Even a doppelganger spell would have faded before hitting the ground and Setti had definitely seen Alastor collapse before returning to the group.

'So, what gave me away?' Setti asked sounding like he was not at all concerned with this sudden turn of events.

'Your boots' Caesar supplied causing Setti to look at him as if asking "you're joking, right?". 'Remember when you caught up with us in Baccea? I noticed that your boots barely had any dirt on them. As if you somehow _flew_ over here. Like, in a monoship for example'

Ever since meeting Setti in the Chief's hut, Caesar had been perplexed as to how the explorer managed to get to Baccea after traversing Frass Chasm without looking any worse for wear whereas the young Lord and his friends had enough dirt and mud on them to make their own mud pie. Once making sure Setti was asleep, with a little help from a couple subtle sleep spells from Alastor and Eldore, he brought it up with them and together figured it out and who he was truly working for.

After that, they quickly came up with a plan of action to catch Setti off guard and surprise him although it was not solid at first. They knew that whatever Setti had planned, he at least needed to get Leonard and Caesar, the Pactmakers of two of the Knights, to a certain location so as to kill them off and retrieve their Arks which meant that he would first try to get Alastor and Eldore out of the picture due to either their prowess in lore or their knowledge of the Knights respectively leaving the three youths to the perils of the unknown.

'We've known who you were right from the very beginning…_Grazel_!' Leonard proclaimed as he summoned his Ark clearly wanting to go all out from the get go.

Unfazed at all by the sudden show of force, Grazel just began laughing as if finding the entire spectacle amusing to his eyes and ears.

'And here I thought I could fool my fellow Pactmakers!' He remarked dropping the illusion spell. 'Bravo. Especially to you, Spellcaster, for making me believe that I had actually killed a legend. I must admit, even _I_ am amazed that you could survive a stab wound such as yours'

'Wasn't as easy as it looked' Alastor grumbled bringing a hand up to where he had been stabbed and scratched at it evidently still irritated by it in some way.

'Still, as surprising as this has been for me, I am also curious as to know if any of you actually pondered the reason as to why I brought you _here_, to this very spot' Grazel threw out to see if any of them would pick up the hint.

'Why?' Caesar asked taking the bait.

Smirking at the youth's stupidity, Grazel activated the magic rune beneath his enemies feet destroying the ground and sending them plummeting down into the chamber below.

'Get your men into the ruins and prepare for their return' He ordered the platoon captain as he made his way back to the monoship to prepare himself for the task ahead.

**~#~#~#~**

'Did you really have to say that?' Alastor inquired cancelling the levitation disc once they were all close enough to the ground that they would not be injured by the landing.

'Well, he said he wanted the Knights so I didn't think it would involve killing us beneath a ton of rocks or burning us into ash' Caesar pointed out in his defence.

'He could have turned us into pin cushions' The Spellcaster argued.

'Mmm, _point_ taken' Caesar nodded with a straight face keeping it like such for a mere few seconds before sniggering at his pun.

'Is everyone okay?' Yulie spoke up before the young Lord could be iced over.

Leonard muttered an affirmative as he stood up having already recovered from the shock of feeling the ground crumble and drop below his feet. Looking about, the youth could see that they had fallen into what appeared to be, or used to be, an underground chamber of the ruins judging by the decaying grey walls that were once decorative and the scattering of square slabs covering the ground amid a sea of moss and dirt.

'It looks like we're trapped here' Eldore speculated having looked around himself to see that there was no doorway or cave leading out from their location.

'Is this why Grazel brought us here?' Yulie asked. 'I mean, we're not needed for him to collect the Sun King, right?'

She held a good point. Other than Leonard and Caesar, Grazel had no use for them hence why he took out or attempted to take out Eldore and Alastor early on so as to remove them from the equation. So why drag them all this way in the first place instead of killing or kidnapping them the moment they left Baccea?

'I don't think it was _G__razel_ who brought us here' Eldore spoke. 'Rather, it was _Setti_ until we reached Sinca village'

Leonard, Yulie and Caesar stared at Eldore as if the Spellcaster had lost his mind.

"But…Setti died _before_ we left Balandor again' Yulie pointed out voicing what all three of them were thinking.

'Wrong. Grazel and Setti are the _same person_' Eldore stated easily sending the three youths for a loop.

Surely something like that could not exist: two minds within a single body, each trying to outdo the other and become the sole controller of their body. While one attempted to aid them on their quest the other wanted nothing more than to kill them and take what he needed for his own personal gain.

'It happened roughly just after the monoship abandoned you guys at Thaumus Rock and before we returned from atop the greaver' Alastor explained. 'When he muttered something about time running out, he was referring to how long he had before Grazel took over again'

'And that happened when the two of you were checking the perimeter, right? Where he…'

By way of answering the archer's question, Alastor merely pulled up his tunic causing all three of the youths to gasp at the sight of the stab wound.

'But…but how…how did…?' Leonard tried to ask yet unable to voice the question about how someone could live through a wound that, for all intents and purposes, kills him either outright or slowly.

'He is a user of Arcana the First Lore from which all other lores are said to have derived. With it, he can use any and all lores both present and forgotten' A new voice stated from across the cavern.

Turning as one, everyone asides Alastor spotted the man who had been with Grazel when they stepped into the trap at Thaumus Rock.

'Who's that?' Alastor questioned as he stared at the swordsman coming towards them.

'Careful! He's powerful!' Eldore warned as he drew his longsword. 'He is known as Trent the Regicide and is the Magi's best killing tool. He'll show no mercy to even a child if ordered to'

Alastor gave the Swordmage a questioning glance before returning his attention back to this Trent person who was just beginning to draw his own blade, a measly shortsword, while still thirty paces from them.

Despite bracing themselves for the swordsman to suddenly charge at them, none of them expected Trent to just swing his sword and send a powerful shock wave at them knocking either off balance or off their feet depending on how quick they were to brace for it. With his foes distracted, Trent charged forward and swatted Eldore away with a single blow before rounding on Alastor bringing his blade crashing down against the barrier the Spellcaster just barely managed to put up in time to block the attack.

Expecting this, Trent merely brought his blade done against the barrier harder shattering it and surprising the Spellcaster allowing Trent to bring a foot to his chest sending skidding across the ground. Coming up from behind, Leonard and Caesar struck out at Trent only to see him knock aside first their attacks then them with the flat of his blade.

'How stupid do you think I am?' He mocked as the two got up and came at him again in a pincer movement. 'Does a pair of simpletons really expect to take me out with such obvious manoeuvres?'

If he was attempting to infuriate them, Trent achieved the goal as Leonard and Caesar's attacks became more erratic allowing the Magi swordsman to parry them with ease before knocking them away again and turn his attention on the Swordmage and avoid the fireball sent his way. He would have finally killed the annoying old man had he not sensed another spell coming his way and jumped back to avoid the lightning spell that would have connected were he slow as the rest of them.

Seeing as the Spellcaster was the most dangerous of the bunch with his vast repertoire of spells, Trent decided to ignore Eldore for the blue haired Spellcaster and charged at him narrowly avoiding the rain of ice daggers Alastor unleashed at him. Apparently expecting such, Alastor transformed the ground in front of him into quick sand in order to slow Trent down. His attempt at detaining the swordsman failed as Trent merely jumped over the marsh and would have probably dealt a harsh blow to Alastor had Eldore not cut him off with a wind spell while in mid-air.

'This is crazy!' Caesar cursed as he watched Trent stand up as if he had merely been pushed over. 'How are we supposed to keep him down?'

It was like fighting a Knight only on a smaller size. No matter what they threw at Trent, the swordsman seemed to just shrug it off and return fire twofold minimum. If they were to at least prevent him from coming after them, it would probably take nothing less than a king troll sitting on the swordsman.

Or drop a pillar on him.

While the males were keeping Trent occupied at close range, Yulie had kept back when she had been batted away by the shock wave at the start of the battle and had been waiting for the perfect moment to strike at the Magi swordsman. The moment Eldore had knocked Trent away, the archer had drawn three arrows and charged them with mana so that when she released all three in one shot, they sailed passed Trent to explode against the solid pillar that was behind him.

Assuming that Yulie had merely attempted to hit him with her arrows, Trent realised too late what her true intentions were until the pillar was down right on top of him.

'Curse you, you whore!' he swore as he caught the falling pillar and held it up to the surprise of the others.

'Flattery won't get you anywhere, so just shut up and hold this up for a while, Jerk!' Yulie snapped back as she scrambled up the pillar towards the ledge twenty feet above them that the opposite end of the pillar was just under where a cave could be seen that, if their luck held out, would lead them back outside.

Quickly following her lead, the rest of the group hurried up the pillar leaving Trent to swear and yell at their retreating forms as he tried to figure out some way of getting out from underneath the cumbersome pillar.

**~#~#~#~**

By the time they had reached the surface and returned to the entrance to the ruins, dawn had come and gone allowing the sun to hang high enough in the sky to shine down on what remained of their camp after the Magi had torched it.

'Looks like there's no more chances of a decent night's sleep for us' Caesar remarked as he inspected the remains.

'We won't be needing it' Leonard stated as he gazed at the long hallway in front of him that lead into the ruins. 'Cisna is in there, along with Kara. We're going to finish this today'

'At least we're all back together again' Yulie cheered all smiles as she looked at the Eldore and Alastor.

Leonard and Caesar both agreed to that. Having known them as they travelled around over the past many days, it was hard to notice how empty it felt without Eldore informing them of this and that and Alastor watching their backs and helping out when push came to shove.

With that thought in mind, the group of five travellers made their way into the ruins only to be immediately set upon by Magi grunts.

'Are they actually trying to kill us or just delay us from finding their leader?' Alastor queried after they had finished taking care of the welcoming committee.

'My money's on the latter. Look how easily we took them out' Caesar pointed out as they made their way further inside.

Even though the ruins had only seen the light of day for just under two decades now, nature had crawled its way back inside and the place seemed a mixture of serene landscape mixed with old ruins.

That did not mean that they could let their guard down just because the place looked calm and tranquil. Even without the Magi forces attempting to detain them with each new corridor and chamber the group entered, the very ground they walked on would sometimes shift or give way entirely leading to a long drop to a quick death.

After several hours of wondering pretty much aimlessly due to the Magi throwing off their sense of direction, they eventually found themselves in a chamber with a grand view of the pit the ruins surrounded as well as the entrance to the palace grounds.

'Almost there' Eldore muttered almost too quietly for any of them to hear. 'Soon, all our questions will be answered'

'I wouldn't say _all_ of them' Caesar cut in as he stepped up to the elder Spellcaster. 'You haven't spilled all the beans yourself, old timer. What's say we take a quick breather here while you tell us the truth about yourself, hmm?'

'He's right, Eldore' Yulie added. 'Before we go any further, we need to know who you really are and where you're from'

'Try _when_ are you from' Alastor corrected as he sat down on one of the many slabs littering the chamber. 'Setti was right, wasn't he, about you being from ancient times'

Eldore remained silent evidently fighting with himself over whether he should explain himself or not to them. While a part of him wish to not disclose his past, the other part knew that, seeing as they had agreed and accepted him as a friend valuable part of their team, it was right to tell them the whole story behind why he was doing this especially in light of what Grazel had attempted to do to them.

'Like both Grazel and Alastor stated, I came from the ancient times when the Dogma Wars were being waged' He began after sitting himself down across from Alastor with the others sitting around him.

'I was a soldier in the Athwani army, tasked with protecting the Queen. When we managed to seal the Yshrenian Knights, the war between Athwan and Yshrenia finally came to a close. The price however was incredibly high in that last desperate struggle, almost all of our greatest and wisest men and women were lost, sacrificing themselves so that the Knights could be felled…

Without their leadership, the Queen could not control the populace that had grown disillusioned with the war. As the masses began to rebel against one another, it was a sign that the realm was beginning to fall apart. In the mayhem that followed, the Queen…'

Eldore broke off at that moment, the memory still burning harshly inside of him of his moment of failure in his task to protect the Queen he had been assigned to watch over.

'Within that one moment, I had lost everything. No master, no home, no purpose. I was a mere broken marionette with his strings cut and cast to the winds' He spoke after a while. 'It was not long after that that I heard of the prophecy: _10,000 years hence, Queen Mureas would be reborn. She and Madoras, the Yshrenian Emperor, would determine the fate of their two civilisations by fighting a final and monumental battle, one of which the laws and boundaries of time cannot contain_'

'And you believed that dribble?' Caesar asked knowing from first-hand experience how poor and inaccurate Seers of today were, assuming they truly were followers of the lore.

'Back in Eldore's time, there were a lot more branches of magic than just spirit and divine' Alastor explained. 'While rare itself due to the master and apprentice only rule, if a Seer predicted something that was yet to come, you can bet they would have accurately predicted it to the exact second it happened. Although, given the amount of time to wait, they might have been out a decade give or take'

'Eighteen years, to be precise' Eldore supplied offhand as if expecting his fellow Spellcaster to mention something along those lines.

'So, that means there are spells to actually _go through _time?' Caesar asked knowing that there were spells to increase ones speed or even slow enemies down- he actually had first-hand experience with the latter- but to actually jump in time from one era to another was another thing entirely.

Again, Alastor spoke up having more knowledge about magic than the rest of them.

'Time-space lore is a bit of a mixed art as there are some spells that merely require mana, with a sometimes honest amount of depleted stamina to go with it depending on the spell, and others that require payment. Basically, by following the rule of equivalent exchange or getting by giving to put it simply, Eldore had to sacrifice years off of his own life in order to come to our time. Hence why he's so old' The blue haired Spellcaster told them although he doubted all but Yulie, who was becoming a decent Spellcaster in her own right, had really managed to wrap their heads around it. 'Now that I think of it, you must have lost quite a few decades to have come ten millennia ahead of your time. Five years for each millennia jumped, give or take'

'I'm determined to protect the Queen. And I have sworn to myself to not fail this time around' Eldore proclaimed proudly.

'Yeah, I doubt he has enough years left in him to go back in time to try again' Caesar quietly remarked to receive a clip round the back of the head from Yulie for even joking about such a thing.

'Did you end up finding your Queen?' Leonard asked drawing the attention away from Caesar and Yulie.

'I did. Though sadly, by the time I found her, she was spirited away and our journey began' Eldore replied completely flooring Leonard as he realised who he was talking about.

When the Seer had prophesised the Queen being reborn in ten thousand years, Eldore had jumped exactly ten thousand years to the time where she would be reborn _literally_. Eighteen years to the day of the attack on Balandor by the Magi on the same day as the eighteenth birthday of the fair maiden their journey was for.

'You mean to tell me that Cisna is…?!' Leonard asked all of a sudden glad that he was sitting down for this news as his legs were sure to have given way otherwise.

'Aye, lad. Princess Cisna is the reincarnation of Mureas, Queen of the Athwani' Eldore confirmed.

'Damn! You sure lucked out, Leonard!' Caesar whistled. Of all the people his new best friend could have fallen for, that guy sure had bitten off more than he could chew this time around.

Everyone else was just as surprised even Alastor having thrown off what Eldore had mentioned to him in Frass Chasm was shocked upon realising that the Swordmage's speculation was not mere conjecture.

'Well that sure clears up a few things' Alastor muttered eventually after wrapping his head around it. 'So what happens now?'

'Now that the Queen has revealed herself, she and Madoras will fight their final battle' Eldore told him before shrugging apparently unsure himself of how things would proceed. 'At least, that's how it should go'

'Wouldn't that mean that this Emperor has been reborn also?' Caesar asked.

Eldore shook his head in the negative. As far as he could remember, there was no mention of Madoras being reincarnated also. This meant that he had found a way similar to himself to get here or through some other form of sorcery that neither he nor Alastor knew of or find a way through sorcery and lore to immortalise himself. No matter how one was to look at it, it was apparent that Madoras could and may have well been any one of those they had met previously awaiting the right moment to reveal himself and continue what they had postponed for ten millennia...

**~#~#~#~**

'Just tell me, brother. Why do you need the Power of the Knights? What purpose does it serve?' Kara asked of Grazel whose back was to her as the awaited something that only the leader of the Magi possibly knew.

'We have been through and over this time and time again, Kara' Grazel replied sighing in frustration over his little sister's constant questioning of his goals- of _their_ goals. 'Don't you want to see the Yshrenian Empire born again, stronger and more powerful than before? Or should I take these nagging questions of yours as a sign that you've lost your faith?'

'But why you?' Kara swiftly threw back ignoring the accusation that she no longer trusted him. 'I just don't understand why it even matters to you. Some long lost civilisa-'

'No one shall stand in my way, Kara. Not even you!' Grazel warned in that quiet tone of his as he whipped round lifted the blonde's chin so that her jaws were forcefully slammed shut. 'I am going to rule this world!'

With the matter closed, Grazel more or less threw Kara away causing her to stumble about in her black armour before managing to catch herself.

'What have the people of this country ever done for you, or for me?!' He asked as he turned round to stare out of the window again. 'Medius even tried to kill me! Why?!'

That day still burned deep within him. Before then, he had seen Medius as a father for him and his younger siblings. Then _he_ had shown up and did something to his younger siblings and nearly him also had he not found the strength to flee from the village. While fruitless, by the time he was brought back to Sinca village, the man had disappeared and Medius, after apologising to him, took him to Balandor where he lived under the guise of Setti, his pathetic other half that, to this day, was still trying to undermine his efforts. It did not stop him from killing his so called father however and pretend that a plague had gotten him.

'It…It was because of the special powers we have. The Knights we wield' Kara weakly explained.

'That's right! Because people are afraid of power. They fear it, abominate it and they despise us as a result!' Grazel snarled as he turned to face her once more. 'The people of this world will never allow us to live in peace'

'Says who, your priest friend Ledom?' Kara challenged. 'Why do you put any stock in that stranger's words?'

'Ledom is a messenger from ancient times. He was sent her to help, to guide me in rebuilding the glory that was the Yshrenian Empire' Grazel told her evidently proud to have remembered his past life as Madoras, the Emperor of old Yshrenia.

'You actually think you have the blood of the emperor in your veins?' Kara asked clearly still sceptical about the old man's proclamation about finding the air to the Yshrenian throne upon first meetings.

'I know I do' Grazel corrected.

Kara shook her head. Surely this…this egotistical man before him was not the brother she once knew. How could a few words from such a suspicious person wrought about a change such as this?

'My lord, the Ark bearers have reached the palace' Shapur informed Grazel making his presence known to the bickering siblings.

'Then we are ready to begin' Grazel said smiling like a predator cornering his prey as he swept from the room leaving a disheartened Kara to herself unsure of what her path in life would now lead her.

**~#~#~#~**

_Almost missed my deadline. I curse thee, writer's block, may you be damned for all eternity. Ugh! Now I'm starting to sound like a few pillocks I know with their over-exaggerations._

_Review if possible & until next time_

_Watch this space & peace out!_


	19. Kings & Usurpers

_Disclaimer is on chapter one_

**~#~#~#~**

Something would be happening soon, both her own mind and the presence of the ancient mind who resided inside of her warned her so. From the sound of silence and feeling of stillness, she knew that the monoship had remained at one location for some time now indicating that the men who had kidnapped her were probably searching for something and had yet to find it.

Yet, while that by itself was terrifying to her, it was what they were going to do afterwards that truly made her fear for her life as she knew that once whatever the Magi were searching for had been found, they would be using her to unlock it. And once that had happened, would her usefulness to them be over? Would they kill her before Leonard and his friends found and rescued her?

The sound of her cell door unlocking and opening pulled Cisna from her musings and instinctively turned to welcome her guest only to suddenly remember that she was not in the castle and now a prisoner of some flying ship. It was fortunate that she remembered, as the one to walk through the door was none other than the leader of the Magi, Grazel, himself.

'It won't be long now, "princess"' Grazel assured her confirming Cisna's suspicions about her part in his scheme was soon at hand or coming to an end. 'Or…should I be calling you Your Grace, _Queen Mureas_?'

'Do you honestly believe that is who I am?' Cisna questioned not wanting to trust his words despite feeling like what he said was true, that this person inside of her was Queen Mureas, the last queen of the ancient land of Athwani.

'But of course. In mere moments, you were able to unseal the Knights' power, a magical ability that only the queen was able to harness' Grazel explained as he paced passed Cisna. 'That is the reason why you were taken from the castle the night we killed your father, Highness. Had you remained silent and allowed us to take the Knight, you would probably have witnessed your father's funeral had you not already joined him in the afterlife'

So that was the reason why she had been taken all those days ago. The White Knight and its Ark had been the Magi's primary goal with the deaths of two of the realms leaders a close second. Had Leonard not dragged Cisna down into the underground treasure chambers, where the Knight had been placed all those years ago, and attempt to use it in a last ditch attempt to save her, then the past memories of Queen Mureas may not have awakened at all.

'Is that why you took me, to unseal the Knights?' Cisna asked glaring heatedly at Grazel.

'Oh, not just that: you were taken on board to allow me to find all of the Knights' chosen Pactmakers and bring them together, to reunite them all!' Grazel proclaimed proudly.

'Unite? I thought you wanted the Knights for yourself' Cisna said looking slightly confused from the Magi Leader's proclamation.

'_Perfect_' Grazel remarked suddenly looking pleased with himself. 'I needed your friends to believe they were acting on your behalf. Had they have known of my true interests, it is highly unlikely that they would have served me so willingly'

Cisna could believe what she was hearing. All that Leonard and his friends had gone through, all the tears, sweat and blood they had shed, was all merely part of some grand scheme Grazel had laid out earlier to get them to do his work?

'Will you stop at nothing?!' The princess snapped at Grazel.

'It's funny you should ask that, Queen Mureas' Grazel remarked calmly. 'Because if you stand in my way even one more time, you're going to find out the answer'

**~#~#~**

The Magi did not know what hit them. One minute they were waiting for the enemy Lord Grazel ordered them to detain, the next second, all hell broke loose as the main Spellcaster of the group appeared in a flurry of blue flames and began batting them away left and right while the rest of the enemy kept on going apparently trusting their ally to take care of things here while they moved on.

Once Alastor had finished off the Magi in the chamber and began to catch up to the others, he had passed through two more chambers where Caesar was just finishing off moping the floor of the Magi in his while Leonard was around half way through taking out the Magi in his own. By the time they were all back together again, they were at the entrance of some inner chamber with all of their enemies now corpses on the cold ground of the chambers they had met them in.

'Quite a few foes up ahead, far more than previous encounters' Eldore speculated. 'This must be their last line of defence before reaching the sanctum of the Knight'

'Which means that this is the last chance for anyone to back down' Alastor said for all to hear. 'Any takers?'

Being asked such a question, Leonard almost felt like slugging the Spellcaster one. He had come too far, risked so much, just to give up at the final hurdle. Today, fate was going to let things go his way whether it was destined to be otherwise or not. While their reasons were different to the youth wielding the White Knight, both Yulie and Caesar were determined to see this to the end as was Eldore who had not travelled ten thousand years through time for a mere glance at what the world looked like after his time.

'This ends today' Leonard declared firmly as he walked through the passageway into the chamber where the last of the Magi's forces made their stand to hold them off with the others quickly following after him.

**~#~#~**

'They're pulling out all the stops' Isaac noted as he watched the explosion that had just knocked a good handful of their forces out of the chamber and down into the nigh bottomless pit from this vantage point inside the monoship. 'Makes me wanna go out there and have a little fun with them myself'

'And rob the farian of his chance to experience defeat at their hands?' Trent asked. 'We were given our orders: we are to remain here and prepare the monoship for an immediate retreat once the objective is accomplished. We are not to interfere in case we upset the plan the Emperor and the High Priest laid out for us'

Isaac sighed in frustration at his superior's words. Of all the times when he wanted to go out and have fun, maybe cremate a few enemies of theirs, he was stuck on watch duty while others took all the fun. And he had been raring to have a rematch with Alastor, the only one to have ever shown him what it was like to experience defeat. The only comfort was in the fact that Shapur would be knocked from his high horse before the day was over.

'So, when are we gonna go find Luthia?' The Pyromancer inquired offhandedly.

'She will make herself known in her own time, long before everything comes to its climax' Trent replied remembering Ledom's words before they parted to aid Belcitane in capturing the Knights.

'Tch! So much for "ladies first" and all that tripe' Isaac scoffed. 'Still, considering who her Pactmaker is, guess she would be fashionably late'

While mentally agreeing with his underling, Trent said nothing as he spotted the group exiting the ruins and making their way towards the seemingly spotless temple that looked unharmed or damaged despite being well over ten thousand years old.

And so, the next stage of their plan was coming into fruition…

**~#~#~**

Standing alone inside the vast empty hall that could possibly be the foyer of the grand temple that held the Knight of his Lord, Shapur was beginning to wonder when his enemies would show up.

He longed for them to show before Lord Grazel returned victorious from the inner depths of the temple so that he could display the heads of those his fellow underlings of their Lord had failed to obtained. Such a gift would surely grant him the honour of becoming the Pactmaker for the final Knight once it too was found. Until either they or his Lord showed however, he remained alone inside the grand foyer awaiting the arrival of either party whichever one fate decided to come first in her grand scheme of things.

The sounds of approaching feet from the entrance to the foyer alerted him to the presence of their arrival even before he turned round to confirm it with his own eye. Seeing that his moment had come, the farian assassin drew his saber while waiting for them to come closer to their deaths.

'"I am afraid my Lord and your princess are currently engaged further within the temple' He told them before any could voice a single question. 'Perhaps, until their business is finished, I could-'

Whatever else Shapur wanted to say would not slip passed his lips as he suddenly found himself literally thrown to one side by a mere gesture of the blue haired Spellcaster's free arm.

'We don't have the time to play with pawns' Alastor growled impatiently as the sound of Shapur being slammed against the wall could be heard vibrating throughout the entire foyer.

'We must hurry' Eldore told them as they hurried towards the staircase that led to the inner sanctums of the temple. 'The Knight should be-'

At the sound of a door opening up ahead, the group stopped in their tracks suddenly more on guard than when they first came in. Staring in shocked silence at the figure that was now coming down the stairs towards them carrying an unconscious Cisna in his arms, two questions arose inside all of their minds: What had he done to the Princess? Does he now have the Knight?

'How nice of you all to come here to congratulate me on gaining the Knights Ark' Grazel complimented as he continued down the stone steps. 'Still, it was only natural for me to receive it given that it was mine to begin with'

'What have you done to Cisna?!' Leonard snarled the moment he found his voice all the while glaring daggers at Grazel. Were it not for whom the Magi leader was carrying…

'I'm afraid she resisted a bit too much. But I have ways of controlling people- she eventually sang her little song after a little…_persuasion_' Grazel chuckled not even glancing at the unconscious bundle in his arms. 'Unfortunately, she may have caused herself some harm in her attempts to resist me'

'Give. Her. Back!' Leonard all but ordered Grazel as he drew his blade.

'And if I refuse?' Grazel calmly threw back at the youth as he placed the maiden down on the ground at the base of the stairs before continuing towards them.

The rest of the group drew or prepared their weapons knowing that what was to come next was not going to be an easy battle. If any of what Setti or Grazel had told them about this Knight were true, then their hardest battle was now before them.

'Why don't you come and get her yourself. Fight me, Knights against Knight!' Grazel challenged the confidence in his voice suggesting that he knew victory would be his no matter who he was against be it fellow Knight or former legend.

'_O Adolmaea, shining sovereign, supreme light of the ancient skies, grant me your power…_

As the chant left his lips, a flame suddenly ignited before Grazel forming a well-crafted mask that would not have looked out of place in a masquerade ball. Adorning the Arks temple, the familiar glyph of the Knights could be seen set between the horns that jutted upwards like that of a demon.

…_Verto!'_

Whispering the final word of the chant before slipping the mask over his face, Grazel was engulfed amid pillars of golden flames that reached even to the ceiling of the temple foyer. Stumbling backwards at the sudden heat and brightness emitted by them, the group could only stare in awe at the sight of the colossal suit of armour that batted away the flames allowing them to stare at the fourth Knight and possibly the strongest of them all.

'So that's the _Sun King_!' Leonard muttered as he stared up at the golden suit of metal that indeed looked fit for a King to wear.

'Well, you know what they say, what goes up must come down' Caesar threw out hoping to lighten the mood a touch while probably just as nervous as the rest of them.

'I prefer the saying "the bigger they are the harder they fall" which definitely fits the bill for this battle' Alastor could not help but state perhaps due to having worked under the young Lord for a while.

'Stay on your toes!' Eldore warned them despite knowing that he was wasting his breath on something they were already doing.

'I'd rather focus on staying _alive_, but let's show him!' Yulie proclaimed her bow already notched and taut with its first payload aimed at the Knight's face.

Paying little attention to the first volleys of spells and arrows sent his way, Grazel merely lifted his hand towards the ceiling where the dwindling flames that had appeared from when he transformed gathered, expanded and hardened into a deadly weapon of a double bladed lance. With a simple twirl and swing, the Sun King unleashed a deadly wave of flames at the group forcing them to dive towards the pillars to either side of the foyer to avoid the attack.

Rolling to his feet, Alastor used a combination of wall running and levitation to keep his momentum as he circumvented one of the pillars and launch a powerful lightning spell at the Knight. In reply, Grazel merely swatted the attack aside with a simple twirl of his lance using the momentum to put more force on the downward swing at Eldore and Leonard, forcing the two back behind the pillars, before turning round to knock away the Spellcaster whose barrier shield barely held up against the attack as he was sent flying towards the entrance to the foyer.

Notching and firing two arrows at Grazel's head, Yulie quickly darted back behind the pillar she was using for cover to draw and notch several more arrows charged with explosive tips before breaking from cover on the other side of the pillar. She immediately forgot about trying to attack Grazel in favour of diving back the way she came as the point of one of the two blades of the Knight's lance came spearing towards her gaining grazes on several parts of her body in her haste to avoid suddenly having a very large hole between her breasts.

With his attention focused on the other side of the foyer, Caesar quickly went about trying to transform and even the odds between them. As if sensing what the young Lord was planning, Grazel plunged his lance into the pillar Caesar was hiding behind and succeeded in nicking his shoulder as he dove away from the attack. Knowing that the Dragon Knight would not be entering the battle for a few moments more, Grazel removed his lance from the pillar and cut down another on the opposite side of the foyer forcing Leonard, who had attempted to summon Wizel, to run away from the falling debris.

Laughing out loud at how feeble their attempts on his life were, Grazel almost missed noticing Eldore come out of hiding and move towards Princess Cisna. Knowing that the maiden's magic could turn the tide of the battle, the Magi leader swung down at the Swordmage forcing him to backpedal then dive to the ground as the lance cut clean through the pillar in an attempt to remove him from the scene as well as stop Leonard from trying to transform again.

With his attention solely on the Pactmakers of the other Knights and Eldore, Grazel failed to notice the return of Alastor until sensing a powerful magic spell approaching from behind. Managing to turn round in time to block the attack, Grazel sent a volley of fireballs back at the Spellcaster. The first one missed entirely as Alastor levitated and dove to one side, the second one glanced against his barrier while the third and final fireball connected head on with his barrier destroying it and sending the Spellcaster ricocheting off the pillar and wall behind him verily removing him from the fight.

Panting for breath as he jumped behind another pillar to avoid the wave of fire sent at him, Leonard could not help but wonder how Grazel's Knight could have so much power while his own could only cut things down. They outnumbered him five to one yet he was somehow managing to prevent them from transforming themselves while simultaneously tackling the rest of the group. Sensing another attack coming his way, Leonard quickly dove away from the pillar shoving Yulie away also as an intense wave of heat knocked them out from behind their cover to land at the feet of Grazel who stared down at them for a moment before lifting his lance high to bring down and fell them both in one clean swoop.

The attack never came, to the surprise of them all, as Grazel suddenly reverted leaving him standing there stunned as the rest of them until he realised what was going on.

During the course of the battle, whether with aid from Eldore or just fate's timing, Cisna had regained consciousness and after quickly assessing the situation, began chanting a spell that forced Grazel to revert back into his normal self.

Enraged at being returned in a weakened state with his enemies still present, Grazel drew his own blade and lunged at the princess successfully burying his steel into the maiden's body whose eyes opened wide at the shock of the foreign element cutting through her flesh. So great had Grazel's fury at Cisna been, he had left his back open for an attack by Leonard who, despite still being injured by that last attack by the Sun King, ran at him intent on driving his blade straight through the Magi leader's heart only for it to be thwarted by someone in black armour stepping between them, the force of his blade being deflected and himself being knocked back barely registered in Leonard's mind as he looked in shock at the person who had come to Grazel's aid.

'Kara?!' He exclaimed after picking himself up from being knocked flat on his back with his sword embedded in the ground behind him.

Paying no attention to the one she had once called a friend in front of her, Kara turned to look at Grazel who was just coming over the shock of being at his enemy's mercy.

'You have to retreat, brother!' She told him not caring that her back was to the enemy.

Grazel looked as if he wanted to argue back about Kara ordering him about but thought better of it. Without the power of his Knight, there was no way he would last long against them no matter how improved his skill with a sword may now be. Begrudgingly accepting the order, Grazel strode off leaving his younger sister to finish off their foes.

Turning back to the others, Kara paid no attention to Leonard dashing passed her to scoop the prone form of Cisna in his arms and dash back to where the others were as she called upon her Black Knight, Ebonwings, in order to finish things off quickly so that they could leave the ruins behind them.

'Can you save her?' Leonard asked of Eldore as the two of them took refuge behind one of the pillars closest to the entrance of the foyer in order to heal the princess.

Taking a quick look over the gaping wound in the young maiden's side, Eldore managed to relax slightly as he noticed that the blade had just missed the heart if narrowly. A reassuring nod to Leonard confirmed all the youth needed to know before setting work on healing the wound via magic before too much of her lifeblood had seeped out.

No longer frantic over Cisna's health, Leonard, made his way over to Caesar and prepared to call fourth his own Knight when the young Lord stopped him.

'Let me do this alone, Leonard' He spoke quietly and very unlike his usual carefree self. 'I wanna save her'

As much as Leonard wished to go against his friend's wishes and help him take on their former friend and ally, Leonard merely nodded and stepped back actually thankful for the chance to do nothing but gather himself after what had been a hectic, scant few minutes from the moment they had entered the foyer.

Managing a small smile in thanks at his friend seeing things his way and allowing him this chance, Caesar turned his attention back to Kara who loomed high above him until summoning Larvayne put them on equal footing.

'**We don't have to do this Kara'** He told her while readying his spear for when she would come at him.

'**You don't know what I have been through!'** Kara snarled as she lunged at Caesar bringing her rapier down upon the spear Caesar had put between blade and his head. **'He saved me from the streets while you had a home where they served your every beck and call!'**

'**That's not true, and Al can attest to that!'** Caesar threw back while shoving Kara away from him. **'And besides, even with the Dragonsight, I can properly you, Leonard, even Grazel!**** I gave you plenty of chances to show me your past yet you brushed them off!'**

'**Because if I did you would just mock me and laugh at my misfortune!'** Kara snapped lunging at Caesar only to stare in shock as, as if in slow motion, Caesar allowed the blade to slip by his defence and scrape along his ribcage.

'**I would never do something like that Kara'** He whispered taking no notice of the stinging sensation he felt coming from his ribs where the rapier struck. **'I care about you…so much so that…I'm having to fight against myself just to take you on!'**

Too shocked by the fact that Caesar had deliberately allowed her to hit him, Kara was unable to get her guard up in time to stop Caesar's fist connecting with the side of her face sending her stumbling back further inside the foyer.

While the duel between Caesar and Kara raged on, Yulie, despite feeling sore all over from having to continuously dive away from the Sun King's attacks, had gone off in search of Alastor who had yet to return since his last attack against Grazel and was beginning to fear the worst. Upon finally noticing a familiar head of dark blue locks pocking out from behind one of the pillars on the far side of the foyer, Yulie made to yell at him for choosing such a moment for an impromptu nap only to freeze up at the sight of the vermillion puddle his head was resting in.

Hurrying over to the Spellcaster's prone form, it was clear from the angle of the right arm and the blood splatter on the nearby wall that Alastor had first collided with the pillar, breaking his arm, before hitting the wall head first and landing in a heap behind the pillar.

With her heart practically in her throat along with the contents of her stomach, Yulie shakily rolled Alastor over so that he was now lying on his back with the large gash in his head free for all to see. How she managed to concentrate enough to apply all the healing knowledge he had taught her over the course of their journey into the head wound, was anyone's guess. All she knew was that she had to put every last drop of mana she had into making sure that he survived to see another sunrise.

Now sweating and panting heavily from her work, Yulie sat back on her heels as she looked from the now closed wound amidst the matted locks feeling slightly better until the Spellcaster still remained motionless.

'No…No! Wake up! Get. Up!' She yelled at the comatose Spellcaster even bringing her fists down upon his chests in a desperate attempt to rouse him. 'Come on! You, lazy, rotten, useless, mean, grumpy, old Spellcaster!'

Even bringing her whole weight down behind her fists while calling him every known name she could think of that would rile him up did nothing but exhaust her more leaving her with the cold truth that the man who was lying before her, who had slowly began to steal her heart, was...

'It looks as if he is unable to answer your summons' A cold, accented voice from behind her spoke up forcing Yulie to whip round to see Shapur bearing down upon her. 'Perhaps, instead of trying to get him to come to you, it would be easier if I send you to where he is!'

Barely having the strength to hold back her tears, all Yulie could do was watch as Shapur's blade was lifted over his head to be brought down upon her own at a speed even a snail could have surpassed. In the time it had taken to go even half the distance to her own head, Yulie stared in amazement as the Farian's eye began to widen at the sight of something behind her before an arm that was not her own rose up with its palm facing him and a pale blue sphere started to form. It was only when the sphere was released and made contact with Shapur's chest did time seem to return to normal and the Farian went sailing away while Yulie yelped and managed to jump back a bit at the sudden explosion.

'And just _who_ were you calling old?!' Alastor demanded sparing a second to glare at the stunned archer before closing his eyes as he rubbed his head where it had been struck.

While vaguely realising that he had heard her "plea" for help, it barely registered in Yulie's mind as, against her own will, she leaped at him burying her face into his shoulder as the tears she had held back for so long broke free from her restraint and drenched the Spellcaster's tunic. Despite being shocked and surprised at Yulie's change of character, all Alastor could do was wrap his one good arm firmly around her shoulders as she continued to weep.

'Hey, come on. Don't tell me you're going soft on me' He muttered softly in her ear in the hopes it would get a rise out of her and bring back the high spirited tomboy he had begun to like.

'Jerk!' Yulie mumbled without lifting her face away from his shoulder. 'I thought you were _dead_!'

'Doubt it, I'm too stubborn' Alastor scoffed. 'That and I had a good healer'

'I had a good teacher' Yulie whispered finally pulling away from his shoulder to reveal her puffy red eyes. 'A bit of an extortionate when it came to getting paid, not to mention a real grouch but, asides that, he's pretty good at what he does'

'Thanks. I think' Alastor grumbled as he pushed Yulie away from him and turned his attention to his broken arm.

A quick healing spell, as well as a few twists and turns to realign the broken bones, and asides from the congealed blood in his hair, one would never have thought Alastor had just been in a life threatening situation. That did not stop Yulie from hugging him once again after he had picked himself up off the ground.

'Save the sappy stuff for later, you, there's still work to be done' He growled back to his old self as he pried Yulie off of his person once again despite enjoying the feeling it brought.

Too happy to snap after all that she had done to save him, Yulie merely stuck her tongue at Alastor's retreating back before following after him. The two were just in time to see Caesar deal a powerful punch to Kara's lower jaw knocking her for a loop as the Black Knight seemed to teeter in place before finally come crashing down at the Dragon Knight's feet where it reverted back into the familiar blonde they were all hoping to avoid killing.

'So, this is it, is it?' She asked not bothering to pick herself up to stare at any of them least of all Caesar who had just reverted himself.

'It's just the beginning, Kara. Well, not the beginning beginning but…' Caesar said causing the blonde to stare at him in confusion. 'I can remember…us as children…who knows how long ago…We ran through the meadows of flowers, hand in hand…even Setti was there, smiling…watching us in the distance…'

Kara remained quiet. She too could remember such times. Times when they were all happy without a care in the world. How could it have all changed so drastically in such a time? How did Setti ever change so that he abandoned even his name and began calling himself Grazel?

'What Setti is trying to do isn't right and you know it, Kara' Caesar continued.

'He's right, Kara. Setti, our _brother_, has been blinded' Leonard agreed as he approached them. 'All because of the Knights'

Kara could not help but smile at their words. She was happy, happy that someone thought along the same lines as her, that this whole thing was just someone else's agenda entirely and that their brother, Setti, was gullible enough to fall for that load of tripe.

'So, how about it? If we all band together again, together we can bring him back to his sense' Caesar proclaimed a slight hint of enthusiasm in his voice causing Kara to chuckle.

Having witnessed their discussion after picking himself up for a second time, Shapur could no longer stay silent and walked towards the downed Lady hoping to halt what appeared to be an unforgivable act in his eye.

'Are you going to betray our lord, Lady Kara?' He asked his restraint on his anger at its limit.

Laughing again, this time more freely than she had ever been since as far back as she can remember, Kara picked herself up before staring at the Farian in a mixture of sorrow and pity.

'It's over, Shapur. I cannot follow your Lord any longer' She proclaimed mockingly as she walked away not realising how big a mistake she had just made.

Before any of them could react, Shapur, in a fit of blind rage, had drawn the dagger he had hidden in a sheath on his back and put it straight though one of the few gaps in the black armour Kara wore.

'Betrayal cannot be forgiven!' He growled quietly in her ear as he held her up by the throat. 'How can you, of all people, not understand what our master is trying to do?!'

Kara paid no attention to his words as she attempted to call forth her Knight in the hopes that the magicks infused within its summons would both heal her of her life threatening injury and remove Shapur from her presence. Her hope quickly turned to fear when Shapur gripped the Ark also and began chanting the words she herself would normally speak.

'Your power…It is time someone worthy has it' Shapur proclaimed grinning darkly as he pulled the black blade from its resting place. '_VERTO!_'

It was like an explosion had gone off: one second Shapur and Kara were there, the next they were at the epicentre of some sort of magical explosion that had knocked Leonard and Caesar back to where the others were. Desperately getting to his feet after being knocked clean off of them, Caesar could only stare in horror at the creature before them.

Where the two once stood was not Dinivas the Black Knight but a creature of another world entirely. A large torso with matching black wings stood upright in the centre of the foyer yet, where it's head should be, was the entire upper half of an Incorruptus similar in appearance to the Black Knight but that was where the similarities ended.

Not even Eldore, who came from the Knights' time, knew what that thing was or what it was capable of. All that was known was the fact that Kara was a part of it and unless they did something about it quickly, it was unlikely that she was going to survive.

'Eldore, Yulie…Take Cisna and get out of here' Leonard advised as his Ark appeared on his arm.

'Even when you do, keep going until the ruins are far behind you' Alastor added as he shouldered his staff.

'Yeah…Whatever that thing's capable of, I doubt you guys'll be able to withstand it' Caesar agreed his own Ark already fastened round his waist.

Quickly understanding that this next battle was not for those without Knights or powerful magicks, Eldore merely nodded his head before picking up Cisna and carrying her out of the foyer leaving Yulie to stare at the backs of Leonard, Alastor and Caesar as they began to head back inside the foyer to rescue their friend all the while wishing that she could have done something more to help them before following after Eldore.

**~#~#~**

'Hey, Al, you think there's a spell to return Kara to us uninjured?' Caesar inquired as they made their way towards the monster that was their opponent.

'Even if there is, I don't think I've got the strength to pull it off' Alastor replied apologetically. 'Our best chance is to just beat this thing quickly and pray that she's still alive'

'Then that's what we'll have to do' Leonard proclaimed before transforming into the White Knight. **'All we can do is go all out and hope for the best'**

'**Kara, if you're in there, hold on! I'm coming!'** Caesar yelled before charging at the creature with his spear poised and ready with the others in hot pursuit.

Noticing his foes approaching, the Black Usurper's lower limbs which were twice the size of a normal Incorruptus surged towards them forcing Alastor and Caesar to take to the air while Leonard had no other choice but to endure the attack with his shield. Now gliding near the ceiling, Caesar came down at the Usurper from above intent on ramming his spear right through Shapur's head only for the upper half to block the attack with its sword before the larger hands not currently trying to crush Leonard swatted him away like a bug.

Unaware of Alastor hiding behind Caesar, the Usurper was unable to block the Spellcaster's lightning spell at point blank range sending a burning fire throughout its mutilated body. Moving back before the Usurper could counter his assault, Alastor just barely managed to brace himself for the sudden gale force winds the two black wings on the Usurper's back generated. With the Usurper now focusing on Alastor, both Leonard and Caesar moved in and dealt damaging blows of their own before once again being knocked back by the large lower arms.

While not as quick as they preferred, the three managed to start whittling the usurper down so that by their fifth assault the Usurper's lower torso collapsed in defeat leaving only the upper torso to fend for itself. It was there that they encountered heavy resistance in their battle to defeat the Usurper. With the size of their target now shrunk, their attacks were being deflected more often than hitting home resulting in both Knights looking rather beaten up whereas Alastor was now forced to hold back focus on support and distraction spells unless he wanted to actually die this time around.

Despite their increasing fatigues and injuries, both Leonard and Alastor managed to open a hole in the Usurper's defences to allow Caesar to move in and deal the final blow causing the Usurper to literally crack up before disintegrating away leaving just Shapur and Kara upon the cold stone floor near the crater where the Usurper once was.

As weary as he was after being knocked about by a pair of Incorrupti and a powerful Spellcaster, Shapur quickly made haste his escape all the while clutching the Ark of the Black Knight in his greedy hands.

Ignoring the retreating Farian, Caesar, Leonard and Alastor ran over to Kara's prone form hoping beyond hope that she was still alive.

'Hang in there, Kara!' Caesar all but shouted as he pulled her into his lap while Alastor began trying to heal her.

It seemed to be a doomed effort as, when the Spellcaster attempted to pull together enough mana if to just take care of the worst of it, his hand barely glowed before dimming just as quickly indicating that his reserves had been practically bled dry and he could now not even cast the most simplest of spells.

'Caesar…' Kara called out her voice a mere whisper as the strength left her. 'I'm…glad…that I…met you…You were my…you were my friend…weren't you?'

'Don't talk like that! We can…We can make you better!' Caesar told her thinking that if they could just get her to Yulie and Eldore in time…

'No…I was wrong about…too many things…I messed up…' Kara told him sadly. 'You'll…still think of me as a friend…Won't you?'

'I…I don't think of you as a friend, Kara. You're much, _much_ more to me than that' Caesar confessed trying hard not to cry.

At his words, Kara looked as if she wanted to say a few more things to the young Lord and yet, all she could do was smile happily as the last of her strength left her.

Despite the fact that one of their own had passed away, there was no time for tears as the ground beneath their feet began to shake. It was clear from the damage wrought during the fights between King, Knight and Usurper had finally taken their toll on the temple and those who still lived had to leave those who did not behind and summon up the last of their strength to vacate the ruins before they became their grave also.

When they caught up with the others outside the temple, it was not as far away as they had hoped which said nothing of why the princess was now standing near the edge of the precipice by herself while Eldore and Yulie kept a few steps back.

'Someone mind telling me why you're all here and the princess is doing who knows what?' Alastor inquired once they had reached them.

Both archer and Swordmage just shook their heads. The moment they had made it out of the temple, Princess Cisna had come round and had asked Eldore to bring her to the edge of the rift where she had been standing in prayer since until they arrived.

It was then that, above the sound of the earth rumbling, another sound could be heard before a great, winged ship, smaller in size compared to the monoship of the Magi but still far more manoeuvrable, appeared from the rift as if summoned by the princess herself which seemed to be the most likely of possibilities.

With their escape route out of the Dogma Rift now in front of them, the group quickly made their way on board the ship. Feeling slightly happier about finally finishing their quest, although the loss of a friend made it feel like a hollow victory for them, Leonard's thoughts over doing nothing but rest for the next few days were suddenly the furthest from his mind when he suddenly went limp as if his strings had all just been cut and it was only because Alastor had been following the youth was he prevented from face planting the ground.

'Easy there!' The Spellcaster warned as he helped the youth into the ship. 'You okay?'

'I…I'm not sure' Leonard replied as he gasped for air even the task of trying to see properly was suddenly becoming a challenge. 'My strength…it just left me'

'I get put through five times what you've been through, feeling like I've been run over by a herd of rampaging Ahwahnee, and you have the gal to say _you're_ strength's left you?'

'Hey, I'm not a legend' Leonard replied as Alastor and Caesar helped him lean against the hull of the ship.

'You are after today' Caesar commented as he moved back so that Cisna could get beside the downed Pactmaker of the White Knight.

He would have made a further comment had the ship suddenly tilt forward violently as the ground beneath it gave way sending them all plummeting downwards until Eldore managed to activate the ship's systems and pull them out of their nosedive and bring them among the clouds where they could see the ruins of the Dogma age collapse in on themselves burying what was left of the ancient world in a huge cloud of dust.

'So, that's how it starts, huh?' Caesar asked quietly as he stared at the pit where the one person he could never live without now resided buried among the ruins from whence they had all come many years earlier. 'The _greatest_ war of them all'

'Resumes, more like' Alastor corrected groaning as he sat down against the hull of the ship.

Sitting down beside him, Yulie could not help but feel like she barely contributed anything to the cause other than a few well-placed arrows or healing spells once a blue moon. Even now, as they returned to Balandor on some ancient flying ship, she could not even help Leonard seeing as the princess was now fawning over him making her feel even worse somehow. Perhaps it was wrong of her to have ever even offered to come along seeing as she was saved probably more times than she had helped out over the course of their journey…

**~#~#~**

_From age to age the souls wandered, and not even the passing millennia could quiet their ancient sentiments. But there was another soul, one that was more powerful, more wicked than all the rest who waited patiently for the time of the Great Awakening…_

_It's ancient pulse beating in the black of darkness…_

**#~#~#~#**

_Talk about an all-nighter. I'll be sleeping soundly tonight I tell you._

_Review if possible & until next month_

_Watch this space & peace out_


	20. Decleration of War

_The disclaimer is on chapter 1 & could all those who assumed that the last chapter was the last chapter consider themselves Gibbs-slapped for assuming that last chapter was the last chapter because it ain't over until_ I_ say it's over!_

_**~#~#~#~**_

'Anyone in?' Yulie called out as she entered Rapacci's Winery.

'You took your sweet time, Yulie!' Rapacci snapped from behind his desk causing the archer to quickly duck behind the door in case of flying goblets.

While normally she would have explained about Raus once more falling asleep at the reigns of the beastwain, she wisely held her tongue. Her boss had been in a foul mood all week since they had returned to Balandor all due to Leonard being his usual bumbling self. Apparently, Rapacci had somehow found out about their tardiness with the castle delivery during their absence and his mood only got worse when he discovered that Leonard had failed to ask for the recommendation for his shop in return for rescuing the princess…which the Pactmaker supposed to have asked only to end up enraging the warg to no end.

Since then, for every day of the past week, Rapacci had put the two youth's noses to the grindstone, almost literally, in terms of punishment giving both them little to no time to rest or explore the plains like what they would have normally done before everything had happened. With the way things were now, however, it looked like their peaceful pastimes were a thing of the distant past with the threat of war hanging over the kingdom.

Upon her return to her kingdom, Princess Cisna immediately stepped up to assume her late father's role and began making preparations for what looked to be a long struggle against Grazel's forces. While members of the council were unsure at first about letting the princess take up the mantle so soon after her kidnapping and murder of her father, their fears and uncertainty was put to rest when they witnessed how she effortlessly brought them all together and discussed battle plans and security for her people. Not once did they suspect that the once silent maiden was using her memories of Queen Mureas who had lived in the time of the Dogma Wars.

The change in Princess Cisna was not the only thing that made folks heads turn. Upon his return to the free city of Greede, Caesar dove head first into his duties as the new Count Drisdall determined to ensure that the free city kept going despite the change of management. It was clearly evident to all who knew him that he was merely trying to distract himself from having to watch Kara die in his arms. He did seem to be recovering though, one final drink at Rapacci's almost turned into a night long party when the new Count spotted a gaggle of pretty young maidens passing their table and invited them to join him only to be turned down. The fact that he recovered from their reply almost instantly proved that the Caesar they knew was still in there.

'Instead of standing around, go make yourself useful and make sure Leonard's still working down in the storeroom!' Rapacci ordered waving the archer away before returning to the parchments on his desk deeming them to be more important than an employee.

Biting her tongue to prevent snapping at the warg, and more than likely earn his wrath, Yulie quickly slipped out the door and made her way to the storeroom entrance where she found Leonard already working on removing the barrels from the back of the wain.

'I see you're keeping busy' She noted while watching him roll another barrel down the ramp from the wain into the storeroom.

'Busy? Rapacci has me working from dawn 'til dusk and even beyond that most days!' Leonard whined although the fact that he was able to speak without sounding at all breathless showed that he had clearly gained a few merits from his constant hours of working almost all day and night.

'Awww. Are you upset that he's not letting you go see Cisna?' Yulie teased knowing that her best friend would immediately blush at her words and she was not disappointed.

'Kn-Knock it off, Yulie' Leonard grumbled turning away from his best friend to not show how her teasing was affecting him which was definitely worse than her usual.

Satisfied with the results, Yulie decided to cut Leonard some slack and began helping him with his current chore. For the next few minutes, only the sound of the grunting as they shoved barrel from wain to storeroom could be heard before Yulie spoke up again.

'Have you heard anything from Alastor?' She asked managing to sound casual about it despite being worried about the grouchy Spellcaster.

The moment the group had landed in Balandor, Alastor had disappeared as if spirited away by the winds themselves without them knowing. While most of the group figured he was just moving on and going his own path now that their adventure had ended, Yulie could not help but worry over why he had practically just up and left without even a goodbye.

'No. Although, considering how busy I am while you still get to go from Parma to Balandor and back, it's kinda hard to hear any gossip from the streets' Leonard confessed sensing his best friend's worry for the Spellcaster. 'I hardly doubt he's gone and killed himself, Yulie. We both would have heard about it if someone had managed to do _that_'

'Yeah, but…' Yulie found it hard to put into words what she was feeling right now.

While her heart of hearts told her that Alastor was okay, a part of her worried if she was the reason he had all but disappeared off the face of the realm.

'Maybe he's searching for the rest of the Chaos Legion. With the way things are going, Cisna will need all the help she can get' Leonard pointed out suddenly trembling in anticipation at the thought of seeing the legendary squadron in action for the first time in many years.

Yulie had to admit that he had a point. Despite being angry for being abandoned back in Greede by him, she had clearly remembered hearing Alastor mention something to the papitaur in the potion shop about spreading the word to "the others". Could he have been talking about his old comrades in arms?

'But what if he's not? What if he's just running away from m- something?' Yulie asked still unsure over whether the cause of Alastor's disappearance was for something else entirely or because of how close she was getting to the man.

'Come on- since when does Alastor run away from something?' Leonard asked as if what she had just said was pure blasphemy on the most sacred of things to him.

'Hey! People change over time!' Yulie snapped in defence.

Leonard was about to retort when the ceiling shook as someone, most likely Rapacci, brought his foot down from where he was sitting on the floor above as if sensing his two employees were slacking instead of working. Easily catching the unspoken message, the two youths quickly got back to work before they brought down the warg's wrath upon their hides once more.

'All I'm saying is that Alastor could easily have changed since his days as a soldier' Yulie whispered to Leonard. 'He wanted nothing to do with his nickname when he finally admitted to who he was, remember?'

While Leonard could see the logic behind what Yulie was saying to him, his attention was suddenly caught by several townsfolk running passed the winery in the direction of the main road. With both as curious as the other about what was happening, the two youths decided to go and see what was happening for themselves if just to get away from Rapacci for a scant few seconds.

It was as if there was an unexpected parade with the amount of people standing at the sides of the road allowing whoever it was to pass through on their way to the castle. Managing to squeeze through the crowd, both Leonard and Yulie stopped in their tracks at the sight of the group of tattered cloaked individuals that were making their way up the road. While the sight of the assortment of humans, wargs and even papitaurs and farians was incredible enough to behold. It was only when Leonard had spotted the banner one of the wargs had tied to his spear that drew his attention.

'It's really them' Leonard muttered in awe easily recognising the insignia on the banner as he watched the group continue on towards the castle.

Not caring if he incurred Yulie's wrath, Leonard grabbed the girl by the wrist and pulled her along as he followed after the mysterious group.

**~#~#~**

It took all Cisna had to not sigh in relief as their latest council of war meeting was adjourned. She was beginning to wonder how her father had managed to cope with such things and still have time to see her when she was younger. He was truly a greater man for all the stress he must have been under from ruling a kingdom, planning a war then a peace treaty with another kingdom as well as looking after his only child that had not spoken a word since his wife had left him. At least now he could finally rest easy while she continued what he had started while simultaneously prepare for a war with a new enemy.

Ignoring the urge to return to her quarters for a brief respite before her duties called for her attention once more, Cisna made her way out of the conference room towards the offices of the Castleguard in the hopes some new information on where Captain Cyrus might be or where he was heading, when she received an urgent summons about a group of strangers arriving in Balandor to seek an audience with her.

All thoughts of rest fled from her mind as she made her way to the throne room just in time for the group of strangers to enter through the doors to the main hall and proceed towards her regardless of who tried to stop, or rather attempted to stop them.

'Identify yourselves!' Sarvain demanded stepping between them and Cisna causing the group to halt in their tracks unlike all other attempts before the advisor decided to intervene.

'Still as high and mighty since we last saw you, Sarvain' The man at the head of the group noted sourly as he pulled down the hood of his cloak causing Sarvain to stumble backwards in shock.

'You! All of you!' He stuttered never in his mind believing he would ever have had to see them again after telling them to disband all those years ago.

While the onlookers stared on in curiosity and confusion, including a certain pair of youths who had tagged along with some of the townsfolk who had the same idea as them, the rest of the cloaked group pulled off the hoods of their cloaks also while Sarvain slowly backed away from them.

'I think he remembers us' One of the farians noted with an unpleasant smirk. 'And what he did to us'

'Guess that saves us some time' One of the females of the group said as she pulled out a short sword from beneath her cloak. 'We can go straight to the revenge part, can we?'

The first member of the group held out his hand to stop the beastgirl from getting any closer to Sarvain. Instead, he turned towards Cisna and kneeled before her causing the rest of the group to follow suite.

'It sure has been a while, Princess Cisna' He greeted her. 'Then again, you were quite young when we first met so I doubt you'll remember this sorely bunch of ragtag soldiers'

For a moment, Cisna had no idea who this man, this group, were and how they knew her personally. Reaching into the farthest depths of her memory, of when her father _and _mother was still with her, she could just vaguely remember seeing their faces before although they were more youthful and untainted by battle back then than in the here and now.

'You are…Bartholomew…' She muttered trying to recall the man's name and relieved when he grinned at her in return.

'Go figure: she would remember the name of the ugliest mug in the group first' another of the females jested grinning also seeing as their fair princess could at least remember the time when they had all met in this very hall.

Among the onlookers, murmurs began to spread as they began to recall the group just like Her Highness just had before them. Leonard himself was almost beside himself with glee as his suspicions were confirmed to be true and that, standing before Cisna, were none other than the remnants of the Chaos Legion themselves. While her best friend was happy, Yulie was not sharing in his enthusiasm as she failed to spot a certain grouchy Spellcaster despite recognising the tall dark haired woman and the two beastgirls to be Azalea, Elma and Ceal, the only females within the Legion, who happened to be her idols and favourites.

'What brings you here after so long?' Cisna asked of them causing their camaraderie banter to die out as they remembered where they were. 'We were told you had disbanded after my father sent word for you to return to Balandor'

'Yeah, we kinda got mixed messages about that part' Bartholomew admitted rounding on Sarvain. '_Someone here_ said we had to disband in order for the truce talks to be established if I remember correctly'

'As if just calling you people back would truly have made the farians believe we wanted peace' Sarvain defended himself. 'To them, you were demons only called back to their cages. Who was to know when caged animals broke free and returned to their feeding grounds? I made the choice to disband you to ensure the Late King's dream for peace was undermined from those who did not wish it'

'Hate to admit it, but I have to agree with him on that' One of the farians of the Legion, Taltenos, spoke up for his kind. 'Even if we were tired of killing at that point, what would've happened if we were given false orders to return to Faria?'

Smirking in triumph, Sarvain looked to have won the argument yet was still sensing a foreboding feeling that he was not out of the proverbial woods just yet. Indeed the next question aimed at him proved to be as such.

'Well, answer me this: why send a mere boy, his best friend, an old timer and an old comrade of ours to rescue Her Highness? Kinda stupid to rely on a powerful artefact in the hands of a child when one of our own was head of the Castleguard' Bartholomew pointed out.

While many were staring at Sarvain in shock and curiosity, Leonard made to shout out that he was not a kid only to be restrained by Yulie stealthily casting a couple of handy spells she had picked up during their travels that prevented her friend from moving or speaking. While surprised as she was about learning that Sarvain had ordered Leonard and his friends, _only_ Leonard and his friends, to come and save her, the Princess recalled a certain discussion she had had with the leader of the Magi before her rescue allowing her to come to the shocking conclusion.

'Seize him!' Cisna ordered of her guards pointing at Sarvain confirming the advisor's worst fears about what his Lord had told the woman during her capture.

With his cover blown, Sarvain made the wisest of choices and fled via teleportation vanishing just in time before the katana of one of the Legion's came slicing through where his knees had been not even seconds earlier.

'I must be getting rusty' He grumbled evidently disappointed in himself as he sheathed his two katana.

'Let it go, Fenris. He'll get his eventually' Bartholomew called out before looking at the Princess with unbridled curiosity. 'You sure picked up quicker than we expected, Princess, you didn't give Gal a chance to say his piece'

'I apologise but, during my time as a prisoner of the Magi, I heard a few things that made perfect sense after what you had asked of Sarvain' Cisna explained to the leader of the Legion as the guards began ushering the public out of the castle so that their conversation could be slightly more private.

'Except that wasn't Sarvain' The grey furred papitaur spoke up as he stepped forward allowing Yulie to recognise him as the one Alastor had spoken to in Greede. 'After Alastor explained the situation to me, I used my contacts to not only seek out the rest of the Legion but to dig up what I could not only about the Magi but about your advisor'

It had taken nearly every favour he knew but eventually, Galileo had managed to uncover all the known dirt on Sarvain and then some. Not only did the Advisor cause the Legion to disband, Sarvain had been against the King locking away the White Knight believing its power would have been put to better use crushing the Farian opposition which king Valtos was vehemently against for his own reasons even to his last day among the living. To that end, he sought out Grazel, whose group the Magi had just recently found the Ark of the Black Knight and shared his wisdom with them.

'From the looks of things, Ledom, that's what he called himself while with them, was to help the Magi to gain the White Knight when your powers awoke causing them to change the plan slightly' Galileo finished explaining.

'So, were it not for what I possess, they would have just killed me, made off with the Knight and hunt for the remaining Knights?' Cisna asked only for the wizened papitaur to shake his head indicating he had no idea what was to happen were she not to awaken her powers.

'All we can do now is begin preparations for what's yet to come. Speaking of which…' Looking over his shoulder, Bartholomew called out to one of his men who had apparently wandered off during the discussion. 'Grunt, you got them?'

In response, the largest of the two wargs came into view holding two youths by the collars of their shirts so that they were literally dangling in mid-air as he walked over to them.

'Leonard! Miss Yulie!' Cisna gasped in surprise clearly shocked to see the two of them being manhandled by the warg.

She had no idea that the two of them had managed to slip past the guards and back into the castle evidently curious as to why the Legion were speaking with the princess and if they knew anything about their favourite, grouchy Spellcaster. Fortunately, a familiar face to the two youths stepped in before anything could be speculated.

'I had happened to run into the Legion before they entered Balandor, Your Highness' Eldore explained as Grunt gently put the two youths on their feet. 'While the Legion made their way here, I was supposed to have fetched Leonard and Yulie only to discover that their curiosity had brought them here quicker than I suspected'

'Nice to see you too, Eldore' Yulie grumbled as she massaged her sore throat.

'Sir Bartholomew, may I ask what this is about?' Cisna inquired wondering why her rescuer and his friend had been brought before her instead of being allowed to rest after all they had been through to rescue her.

'Like I said, Your Grace, we need to start preparations for what's yet to come. That includes making sure young Knight-boy and his friend are trained and ready to help out for when the time comes' Bartholomew explained causing the two youths to look at each other in surprise. 'Course, it was only supposed to be Knight-boy but Al warned us of how stubborn the girl could be and advised us to train her at the same time'

Hearing that Alastor had made contact with his old comrades at least told the youths that he had not forgotten about them. All that remained now was figuring out where he was and what manor of training they would be put through- and if they would survive it.

Seeing as how things were beginning to progress better than she had hoped when first taking up the mantle her father had left her, Cisna made to inquire about what could be done to find the whereabouts of Captain Cyrus, when one of her aides beckoned to her informing her of another matter which needed seeing to. Resigning herself to her kingdom first, Cisna humbling excused herself from the meeting leaving the training of Leonard and his friend up to Bartholomew and his squadron knowing that she was sure to see Leonard again sooner or later.

'Okay then' Bartholomew began signalling all but a few of the Legion to leave them and proceed to where their abilities would be put to the best of use before rounding on the two youths once more. 'You, lad, are gonna be sparring with me, both with and without your Knight'

'Wuh-I'm what?!' Leonard sputtered not believing what he was hearing. 'Are you sure you want me to fight you as a Knight? I don't mean to-!'

He found himself holding his tongue as Bartholomew effortlessly brought the massive blade of his over his shoulder and point it directly at Leonard with one hand.

'Trust me. You _wi__ll_ need it' He told the youth.

Leonard could only nod his head in agreement. He suddenly found himself believing that all the times Rapacci had ever slugged him for goofing off and such would be the equivalent of love taps compared to the pain his new sparring partner was sure to put him through. With that thought in mind, Leonard trailed behind Bartholomew as they headed towards the Castleguard training grounds to begin his first day of training.

'What about me?' Yulie spoke up suddenly feeling nervous about who she was going to be paired up with.

'You're going to be training with the three of us!' One of the beastgirls told her in an enthusiastic manner as she slung an arm round Yulie's shoulders. 'After all this time, there's no way we're gonna let slip the chance of another girl joining our ranks!'

'We're just training her, Elma' Ceal, the other beastgirl, reminded causing Elma to pout.

'But I don't wanna be the youngest of the Legion anymore!' Elma whined childishly

Yulie could not help but giggle at Elma. Even after growing up, the Wind Dancer still acted like the child she was when she first joined the Legion.

'So, the three of you are my trainers, huh?' Yulie asked looking at the three women. 'Should I feel worried or honoured about this?'

'That all depends on how you wish to thank old Sourpuss when you see him again' Azalea replied as the four of them went off in the direction of the castle gardens.

'Speaking of him, where is that grouch of a Spellcaster? Did he put you up to this?' Yulie inquired as Alastor was the only one she knew with a face like a sourpuss.

'It's not so much asked but rather told us to train you' Azalea explained for her. 'Something about making sure you didn't feel like you were nothing more than a spare wheel the next time you guys went out against the Magi'

So Alastor knew what she was feeling like as they returned home to Balandor. It did not surprise Yulie the least that the Spellcaster knew that about her. At least this proved that he was still thinking about her if he practically ordered the girls of his old squadron to train her up good and proper so that she could be of better use than she was during their first journey together.

'You must've made quite the impression on Alastor for him to ask all three of us to help you out' Ceal remarked.

'You have no idea' Yulie replied despite not really knowing how good or bad an impression she had made on the Sourpuss herself.

**~#~#~**

'Back here again…' Alastor muttered taking in the ruined surroundings of what was probably once the peaceful Sinca village. 'But…is this my second trip here, or third?'

Ever since hearing Setti mutter about erasing his own memories, Alastor was beginning to suspect that the village he was supposed to visit all those years ago was this very village that had once thrived where he was standing. While not completely sure himself about what he may find, the Spellcaster was willing to place his life in the hands of Hades himself to see just what had happened during that time he cannot remember even if what he found out threw him for a loop round the very moon itself.

_Everything seems to have begun right here in this very village_ He thought to himself as he began using magic to carve out a rune circle wide enough for a grown man to sit in. _Me acquiring the Grimoire… the discovery of Grazel and the infants and their sudden separation to the far corners… even the Knights themselves… Whatever happened during that blank spot in my memories…has to have been pivotal. I'm sure of it!_

Satisfied with the circle he had created and the runes and glyphs drawn along its edges, Alastor sat himself down in the circle with the Grimoire stuck point first into the circle's epicentre. While traveling back through time was deemed nigh impossible, it was possible to relive one's memories of an earlier time although it was still very risky to attempt even by the greatest of Spellcasters. Despite the risk and repercussions he faced, Alastor steeled himself for the gruelling task ahead knowing that somewhere in the dark recess of his mind quite possibly lay the key to winning the upcoming war that threatened to spill over the horizon.

**~#~#~**

Flanked by his new Pactmaker of the Black Knight, Grazel proudly strode up to the rail of the stone balcony overlooking the bowels of an extinct volcano where his forces were gathered awaiting for him to address them.

'My comrades. The time has come to save this beautiful land and free it from the hands of a corrupt and dying monarchy!' He called out his voice reaching the furthest of crevices. 'I will use this power the gods gave me to fight! You have my oath! Together, we shall take the first steps towards rebuilding the home our souls yearn for!'

The roars of the black iron sea seemed deafening as they cheered in approval for their leader.

'The acquisition of the Sun King seems to have boosted your soldier's spirits' A familiar voice remarked near Grazel's shoulder informing the reincarnation of Madoras that he had an unexpected yet not unwelcome guest.

'If you say so, _High Priest Ledom_' Grazel scoffed. He knew without even having to gaze upon his followers that his power only brought fear and awe to them all. Not that it mattered to him.

So long as they believed following him would bring riches and rewards to their lives when all was over, Grazel would see fit to use and dispose of them however he wished. Fear and awe would suffice him for now until true peace had come for them where his dream would be realised and he and his siblings no longer had to fear what was in store for them all because of the power they possessed.

'So you have been discovered, have you? We're older than you yet you're the one who seems to be slipping' Isaac teased the old priest as he stepped back to allow Grazel to address the masses once again before Trent clipped him round the back of his head.

'I was planning on "betraying" them soon anyways' Ledom admitted quietly to the two soldiers of the old Yshrenian Empire. 'I had done all I needed to while posing as an Aide to Valtos anyways and had hoped to at least learn of some of their plans to counter our forces'

'In the end, their castles shall fall and the Emperor shall be victorious once again' Trent stated proudly.

Ledom quietly agreed. Come the Final Awakening, everything he, Trent and Isaac had sacrificed for their Emperor would finally be over and the world would be under the rule of their great Emperor Madoras once again.

'This day marks a new beginning for us. Today, Yshrenia rises from the pages of history to live once again!' Grazel declared for all to here.

Today, under the red sun on Redhorn Isle, the army of the second coming of Yshrenia declared war on the realms.

**~#~#~#~**

_**To Be Continued…**_

**~#~#~#~**

_Now it's the end…sort of- you know what I mean._

_You know, I probably could have had this whole story finished by…let's see…one chap per month…couple that with the fact I had to go through the game first then hunt down the appropriate vids on Youtube…about this time last year. Aren't I a slacker?_

_Review if possible & until the curtain rises once more_

_Watch this space & peace out_


	21. SOPA Notice

I found this out from an author of a story!

In is an important notice that will affect everyone on this sight and many others.

I saw this notice in a fic by gamelover41592, as well as seeing/hearing about it on other sites, that SOPA is back. The bill that is threatening to take away our freedoms on the internet is back. Not only back, but it is trying to be passed quietly so nobody notices. SOPA will guarantee that anybody who streams a video, whether it be on youtube, a walkthrough for a video game, or a kid singing a song that is 'copyrighted' they will be treated as a felon. That's one of the highest forms of criminal offense; for something as simple as uploading a video game walkthrough on youtube, playing a song with lyrics of your favorite artist, and even one we all go on, this one right here.

It affects us here on Fanfiction as well. Think it's an exaggeration? Who knows? You're required to do nothing, least of all believe. Shut one's eyes tight, or open one's arms wide. Either way, one's a fool. But belief or not, some things must be accepted. Fanfiction will be attacked for using canon characters in a fanon manner, and who the hell knows what else. This affects all of us, and we can't let it happen.

Some of you will likely claim bullshit, which is understandable. But the author I saw this provided links below to show she was telling the truth. Simply remove the spaces below, and see for yourself.

www . huffingtonpost 2013/08/07/unauthorized-streaming-felony_n_3720479 . html

www . washingtonpost blogs/the-switch/wp/2013/08/05/sopa-died-in-2012-b ut-obama-administration-wants-to-revive-part-of-it /

www . techdirt articles/20130805/12472124074/administration-cant- let-go-wants-to-bring-back-felony-streaming-provis ions-sopa . shtml

www . youtube watch?v=1fTt4K4Cae4

SOPA has been stopped before and damn if we can't do it again. Everything we love that gives lifeblood and character to these fandoms, from fanfics to fanart to video tributes, are being threatened. Everything from here to youtube is in danger of being FUBAR.

America once had the freedom to express themselves, but after the attacks on 9/11/2001, those freedoms began to dwindle in the name of "security." If we lose our collective voice, then who's to say that the US of A won't become like the England in V for Vendetta? We're not making money off of this, we're doing it because we enjoy it, and wish to share our passion with anyone who wants to see it. (And if there's some Government official spying on me or something, oh well. I'm stating my own opinion and it's not bringing any clear or present dangers to anyone's life, liberty, or their pursuit of happiness.)

It feels like one of those "copy and paste this if you're not afraid" statuses from Facebook, combined with an unofficial petition, but copy, paste, and add your name to the growing list if you're against SOPA.

shadowwriter329

Madam Jokudaime Kanaya Maryam

g1rldraco7

Yurei Hanatsuki

Forever Free Evergreen


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